:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70596340/DSC_0552.0.jpeg)
The Huskers had seven wrestlers finish high enough at the Big Ten Championships to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships in Detroit next week.
And earlier today, it was announced that senior Chad Red Jr., who failed to qualify after not placing at Big Tens, earned an at-large bid to the big dance.
Nebraska’s 2022 NCAA Qualifiers
141 - Chad Red Jr.
149 - Ridge Lovett
157 - Peyton Robb
165 - Bubba Wilson
174 - Mikey Labriola
184 - Taylor Venz
197 - Eric Schultz
285 - Christian Lance
With Red earning the at-large bid, Nebraska will have three five-time NCAA qualifiers in Red, Eric Schultz and Taylor Venz. This will be the fourth NCAA tournament for each of them, as the 2020 NCAA tournament was cancelled due to Covid.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23291741/DSC_0446.JPG)
Chad Red is a four-time All-American (including being named a first-team All-American in 2020) and will be going for a record fifth next week at NCAAs. He’s made the NCAA tournament his best tournament his entire career. So throw out the seeds because Chad Red is Mr. March.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19738766/2020_Nebraska_vs_Minnesota_Wrestling7958.jpg)
With Red earning that at-large bid, Nebraska now has eight NCAA qualifiers awaiting their seeds. Seven of its qualifiers have been to NCAAs before with freshman Bubba Wilson earning his first career NCAA nod in his first season in the lineup. The 2019-20 redshirt of the year for the Huskers, Wilson went 3-2 at Big Tens to finish in sixth place. He’s 13-12 on the year, but he’s gotten noticeably better as the year has progressed.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23291763/DSC_0546.JPG)
After losing to 1-seed Carson Kharchla of Ohio State in the quarters, the 8-seed Wilson upset two wrestlers seeded higher than him on the back side of the bracket (7-seed Hayden Lohrey of Purdue and 5-seed Caleb Fish of Michigan State).
The seeds for the NCAA Championships are yet to be determined, but the Huskers will be bringing a pretty big and experienced group to Detroit.
The two wrestlers that did not qualify were freshmen Jeremiah Reno at 125 and Dominick Serrano at 133. Reno went 4-15 on the year after taking over for the injured senior Liam Cronin, who will be back next season after an injury year. Serrano finished the year 13-13 after finishing 12th at Big Tens. He had his redshirt pulled in January as the Huskers struggled at 133 all season.