Wrestling: NU Traveling to Two Tourneys Saturday; Adds Impressive Recruit; Backups See Action

We’re in the midst of the season, and sometimes these things come at you fast, so here’s a roundup of information to digest as we get ready for another weekend of Husker wrestling.

Nebraska Travels Saturday

Nebraska will send a contingency to two locations on Saturday with the starters and select backups traveling to the Navy Classic in Maryland, while other backups and redshirts travel to Kearney, Neb. to compete in the Younes Hospitality Open.

Nebraska looks to be using the Navy Classic as another step in their evaluations at a couple key weights, as the Huskers are entering multiple wrestlers at 165, 174, 184 and 285 pounds.

At 165, Nebraska will have three entries in freshman Antrell Taylor, redshirt freshman Jagger Condomitti and sophomore Bubba Wilson. Taylor most recently competed this past weekend at the Journeyman’s Collegiate Classic at 157 pounds, while Wilson hasn’t wrestled this season yet after starting a year ago. Condomitti has been the starter most of the year but is 0-2 in duals so far.

At 174, there’s no competition with No. 3-ranked Mikey Labriola, but it’ll be good to see backup Elise Brown Ton get an uptick in competition.

At 184, the competition seems to be between Nathan Haas and Lenny Pinto. Both redshirt freshmen, how they fare this weekend in the same bracket may go a long way in picking the starter, especially if they wrestle each other.

At heavyweight, senior Cale Davidson has struggled with a 1-5 record on the year. Meanwhile, true freshman Harley Andrews is 3-0 with two wins via pinfall on his way to first place in his pool at the Journeyman Classic. I’m not saying this is a legitimate roster battle, but Andrews could make things interesting with a big weekend.

Nebraska is also sending starters Boo Dryden at 133, No. 24 Brock Hardy at 141, Dayne Morton at 149, No. 3 Peyton Robb at 157, and No. 18 Silas Allred at 197.

As for the Younes Hospitality Open, Nebraska will be sending Quinton Chavez at 125, Hayden Mills at 133, Ismael Ayoub and Blake Cushing at 141, Nic Stoltenberg and Cameron Graham at 157, Nate Wemstrom at 197, and Austin Emerson at 285.

Backups and Redshirts Competed Last Weekend

Last Saturday, Nebraska had nine wrestlers compete at the Grand View Open in Grimes, Iowa.

In the Freshman/Sophomore division, the Huskers were led by Reese Davis who went 5-1 to finish runner-up at 149 pounds. At 197, Nate Wemstrom went 4-2 to finish fourth, while Quinton Chavez (125) and Ismael Ayoub (141) each finished in sixth place. Logan Valledor (125) and Hayden Mills (133) each competed and earned three wins apiece but failed to place.

In the open division, Nebraska had three wrestlers, led by sophomore Elise Brown Ton at 174 pounds. Brown Ton went 4-1 and finished second after falling in the final 4-2 to Iowa State’s Joel Devine.

Blake Cushing went 3-2 at 141 pounds while Nic Stoltenberg went 2-2 at 157. Neither wrestler placed.

Big-Time Late Addition to 2023 Class

As I already wrote about, Nebraska signed an impressive 2023 recruiting class earlier this month. And it just got a whole lot better.

A few days after signing day, Nebraska secured the signature of one of the most coveted remaining unsigned guys in the class in Ethan Stiles. Ranked No. 66 on the Class of 2023 Big Board, Stiles gives Nebraska five of the Top 100 recruits in this year’s class. Stiles is currently ranked No. 6 in the country at 160 pounds. He’s a Fargo All-American and two-time state champion in Illinois. And most recently, he went a perfect 7-0 at the Elite 8 Duals in late September.