Huskers Send Three to NCAA Finals, NU in Second After Day Two

PHILADELPHIA - Taking 15 victories on the day, the Nebraska wrestling team is sending three Huskers to title bouts in the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships. NU notched numerous program-bests in Sessions III and IV, and seeks to bring NCAA hardware home as the tournament’s medal and championship bouts take place Sunday, March 23.

The Huskers' fiery day two performance notched a 15-6 record between the two sessions. NU closed the day second in team standings, with 101.5 points, the most in program history. The Big Red garnered three finalists, tying the team best of three in 1984. Nebraska also tallied eight All-American claims, a team record. Ridge Lovett (149) also joined the Huskers’ 100-Win Club, the 32nd to accomplish the feat all-time.

Session III action began on Friday morning, with quarterfinal and wrestleback bouts at 125. No. 9 Caleb Smith took the mat first, where he and No. 23 Tanner Jordan (SDSU) had a tight 4-4 regulation matchup. The pair went to SV-1, where Smith shot and scored with a takedown for the 7-4 win, improving to 12-2 all-time in SV-1, and sticking around in consolations. At 133, No. 17 Jacob Van Dee was next, claiming a 4-2 decision against No. 18 Julian Farber (UNI).

The first Big Red quarterfinal bout of the day, No. 1 Brock Hardy (141) met No. 9 Jacob Frost (ISU) on the mat. The Husker knocked off Frost in 4:13 with a fall, to claim his third All-American honor, a spot in the semifinals and his fourth-straight bonus-point win. Next up in the quarterfinals was a Big Ten Championship rematch at 149, with No. 2 Ridge Lovett facing No. 7 Kannon Webster (ILL). Lovett put up 12 against Webster, to shut him out with a 12-0 major decision to become a four-time All American, and book his matchup for the semifinals.

In the 157 quarterfinals, No. 3 Antrell Taylor took on No. 11 Matty Bianchi (UALR). In a close bout, the sophomore Husker came out on top, defeating Bianchi 4-3 for the semis spot and his second All-American honor. At 165, No. 12 Christopher Minto and No. 4 Terrell Barraclough (UVU) met in the quarterfinal. Minto trailed the No. 4 seed for the majority of the bout, but used a last-second takedown to upset Barraclough with an 8-7 victory. In his first NCAA Tournament appearance, the redshirt freshman became an All-American with his fourth top-10 win, and moved on to the round of 12.

No. 8 Lenny Pinto (174) was up next, against No. 23 MJ Gaitan (ISU) in wrestlebacks. The Husker made quick work of the bout, notching his 13th tech. fall of this season, this one 18-1 in 1:53. In the 184 quarterfinal, No. 12 Silas Allred faced No. 4 Dustin Plott (OKST). Plott, the 2024 NCAA runner-up, led the whole bout, and defeated Allred 12-5.

At 197, No. 20 Camden McDanel won 4-1 over No. 19 Andy Smith to keep his tournament run alive. Back up at 125, No. 9 Smith took on his second wrestleback match, and grabbed a 4-1 decision over No. 16 Blake West (NIU). No. 17 Van Dee (133) kept it going for NU, with a 9-3 win against No. 23 Sean Spidle (CMU). At 174, No. 8 Pinto notched bonus points for the Big Red, defeating SoCon Champion No. 17 Sergio Desiante (CHAT), 15-7, for a major decision. To close the session, No. 20 McDanel (197) claimed a 9-3 upset against No. 11 Luke Stout (PRIN).

The Huskers closed the Friday morning session with 65.5 points, landing a second-place team standing with four semi finalists with All-American status. All nine from NU stayed alive, to continue tournament bouts in the round of 12 Friday evening.

Session IV began at the Wells Fargo Center with a bang for the Big Red, as No. 9 Smith (125) earned his second-straight All-American honors with an SV-1 win over No. 6 Jett Strickenberger (WVU). It was the Husker’s third SV-1 victory in this NCAA Tournament alone. At 133, No. 17 Van Dee followed suit, defeating No. 21 Angelo Rini (IND) 4-2 to achieve his first All-American honor. The sophomore won four consecutive matches to do so, putting his season win total at 18. Both Smith (5-4 to No. 2 Matt Ramos (PUR)) and Van Dee (4-2 No. 8 Braeden Davis (PSU)) dropped their following bouts, but are set to compete for seventh on Saturday morning.

Kicking off semi final matches for the Big Red, No. 1 Hardy (141) faced No. 5 Cael Happel (UNI). After dropping his bout at UNI to Happel in January, the junior avenged his loss with an 11-4 decision, booking his spot in the title match. The win was the Husker’s 14th straight. Hardy will take on No. 3 Jesse Mendez (OHST) in the final.

At 149, No. 2 Ridge Lovett met No. 3 Shayne Van Ness (PSU) on the semifinal mat. The Husker used a huge first period lead to take his 100th career victory, 14-8, and return to his second NCAA final. Lovett will face No. 1 Caleb Henson (VT) in the championship match. No. 3 Antrell Taylor (157) was up next, against No. 2 Meyer Shapiro (COR) in his semifinal bout. The Husker pulled off a dominant 7-2 upset performance, securing the sophomore a spot in the final against familiar foe No. 8 Joey Blaze (PUR).

Next, No. 12 Minto took on No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) in the 165 semifinal. The undefeated top-seed defeated Minto 13-2, but the Husker continues his campaign on Saturday morning in the consolation semifinals.

Back in the wrestleback bracket, No. 8 Lenny Pinto (174) faced No. 5 Simon Ruiz (COR), but lost in a tight 2-1 decision, ending the junior’s NCAA run. At 184, No. 12 Silas Allred claimed All-American status, defeating No. 15 Dylan Fishback (NCST) 4-0. Allred lost in his last bout of the day, 8-1 to No. 8 Jaxon Smith (MD), but will wrestle for seventh on Saturday morning.

At 197, No. 20 Camden McDanel became the first true freshman Husker All-American since James Green in 2011-12, after he defeated No. 24 Gabe Sollars (IND), 7-3. McDanel dropped his next consolation match, 4-2, to No. 15 Joseph Novak (WYO), but will wrestle for seventh on Saturday morning.

Final Matchups
141: No. 1 Brock Hardy vs No. 3 Jesse Mendez (OHST)
149: No. 2 Ridge Lovett vs No. 1 Caleb Henson (VT)
157: No. 3 Antrell Taylor vs. No. 8 Joey Blaze (PUR)

Up Next
The 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships wrap up on Saturday, March 22, with Session V to start at 10 a.m. (CT). The medal rounds will be broadcast on ESPNU. Action resumes at 6 p.m. (CT) on ESPN for Session VI, championship bouts.

Team Standings
1. Penn State (135.5)
2. Nebraska (101.5)
3. Oklahoma State (91.0)
4. Iowa (73.5)
5. Minnesota (47.0)
6. Cornell (46.0)
7. Northern Iowa (44.5)
8. Ohio State (44.0)
9. Illinois (40.5)
10. Virginia Tech (40.0)

125: No. 9 Caleb Smith (4-2) All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 23-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over Nick Babin (Pittsburgh) 13-11 (SV-1 3-0)
Champ. Round 2 - Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) 22-4 won by decision over Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 23-7 (Dec 7-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 23-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) 24-10 (SV-1 7-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 23-7 won by decision over Blake West (Northern Illinois) 24-7 (Dec 4-1)
Cons. Round 4 - Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 23-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia) 19-8 (SV-1 12-9)
Cons. Round 5 - Matt Ramos (Purdue) 30-2 won by decision over Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 23-7 (Dec 5-4)

133: No. 17 Jacob Van Dee (4-2) All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Ryan Miller (Pennsylvania) 23-8 won by decision over Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) 18-11 (Dec 8-4)
Cons. Round 1 - Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) 18-11 won by major decision over Hunter Leake (California Baptist) 7-10 (MD 13-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) 18-11 won by decision over Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) 18-8 (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Round 3 - Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) 18-11 won by decision over Sean Spidle (Central Michigan) 29-11 (Dec 9-3)
Cons. Round 4 - Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) 18-11 won by major decision over Angelo Rini (Indiana) 22-11 (MD 8-0)
Cons. Round 5 - Braeden Davis (Penn State) 16-6 won by decision over Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) 18-11 (Dec 4-2)

141: No. 1 Brock Hardy (4-0) All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 27-3 won by major decision over Nash Singleton (Oregon State) 13-11 (MD 12-3)
Champ. Round 2 - Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 27-3 won by tech fall over Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven) 27-6 (TF-1.5 6:17 (19-3))
Quarterfinal - Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 27-3 won by fall over Jacob Frost (Iowa State) 33-9 (Fall 4:13)
Semifinal - Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 27-3 won by decision over Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) 27-4 (Dec 11-4)

149: No. 2 Ridge Lovett (4-0) All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) 24-2 won by decision over Sam Cartella (Northwestern) 16-12 (Dec 10-8)
Champ. Round 2 - Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) 24-2 won by tech fall over Ty Whalen (Princeton) 21-5 (TF-1.5 6:09 (15-0))
Quarterfinal - Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) 24-2 won by major decision over Kannon Webster (Illinois) 16-8 (MD 12-0)
Semifinal - Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) 24-2 won by decision over Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) 23-3 (Dec 14-8)

157: No. 3 Antrell Taylor (4-0) All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) 26-4 won by tech fall over James Conway (Missouri) 18-17 (TF-1.5 5:55 (19-4))
Champ. Round 2 - Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) 26-4 won by fall over Jude Swisher (Pennsylvania) 26-9 (Fall 2:16)
Quarterfinal - Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) 26-4 won by decision over Matty Bianchi (Little Rock) 26-6 (Dec 4-3)
Semifinal - Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) 26-4 won by decision over Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) 14-2 (Dec 7-2)

165: No. 12 Christopher Minto (3-1) All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Christopher Minto (Nebraska) 22-6 won by major decision over Joseph Bianchi (Little Rock) 13-7 (MD 13-1)
Champ. Round 2 - Christopher Minto (Nebraska) 22-6 won by major decision over Julian Ramirez (Cornell) 23-3 (MD 11-1)
Quarterfinal - Christopher Minto (Nebraska) 22-6 won by decision over Terrell Barraclough (Utah Valley) 31-3 (Dec 8-7)
Semifinal - Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) 26-0 won by major decision over Christopher Minto (Nebraska) 22-6 (MD 13-2)

174: No. 8 Lenny Pinto DNP (3-2)
Champ. Round 1 - Dalton Harkins (Army West Point) 21-11 won by decision over Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) 25-7 (Dec 6-1)
Cons. Round 1 - Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) 25-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) 14-5 (SV-1 12-7)
Cons. Round 2 - Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) 25-7 won by tech fall over MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) 17-11 (TF-1.5 1:53 (18-1))
Cons. Round 3 - Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) 25-7 won by major decision over Sergio Desiante (Chattanooga) 23-4 (MD 15-7)
Cons. Round 4 - Simon Ruiz (Cornell) 25-6 won by decision over Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) 25-7 (Dec 2-1)

184: No. 12 Silas Allred (3-2) All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Silas Allred (Nebraska) 22-8 won by fall over Malachi DuVall (George Mason) 20-7 (Fall 6:38)
Champ. Round 2 - Silas Allred (Nebraska) 22-8 won by fall over Bennett Berge (South Dakota State) 27-7 (Fall 6:42)
Quarterfinal - Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) 21-5 won by decision over Silas Allred (Nebraska) 22-8 (Dec 12-5)
Cons. Round 4 - Silas Allred (Nebraska) 22-8 won by decision over Dylan Fishback (NC State) 16-8 (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Round 5 - Jaxon Smith (Maryland) 24-8 won by decision over Silas Allred (Nebraska) 22-8 (Dec 8-1)

197: No. 20 Camden McDanel (4-2) All-American
Champ. Round 1 - Trey Munoz (Oregon State) 11-5 won by decision over Camden McDanel (Nebraska) 24-13 (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Camden McDanel (Nebraska) 24-13 won by major decision over Tucker Hogan (Lock Haven) 22-8 (MD 13-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Camden McDanel (Nebraska) 24-13 won by decision over Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) 14-9 (Dec 4-1)
Cons. Round 3 - Camden McDanel (Nebraska) 24-13 won by decision over Luke Stout (Princeton) 16-4 (Dec 9-3)
Cons. Round 4 - Camden McDanel (Nebraska) 24-13 won by decision over Gabe Sollars (Indiana) 19-13 (Dec 7-3)
Cons. Round 5 - Joseph Novak (Wyoming) 28-6 won by decision over Camden McDanel (Nebraska) 24-13 (Dec 4-2)