Kansas City, Mo. – Husker sophomore Brock Hardy (141) led the Huskers with a third-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships, and the Nebraska wrestling team scored 60.5 points to claim ninth overall.
Five Huskers competed in the NCAA medal round, highlighted by Hardy’s upset victory and Peyton Robb’s win to conclude his Husker career with his fourth all-american honor.
Nebraska’s five NCAA All-Americans marks the fifth time in seven years the program has had four or more claim the award. Since 2012, Nebraska has had at least two wrestlers receive All-American honors, and the program has earned a total of 136 combined awards from 75 wrestlers.
Third-Place Match
No. 9 Hardy lost in Friday morning’s quarterfinals but climbed the ladder in consolation, winning four-straight, to claim a third-place finish. The two-time NCAA All-American defeated No. 2 Real Woods by decision 7-6 and finished his run with a 6-1 record.
Fifth-Place Match
Top-seeded Ridge Lovett battled No. 2 Kyle Parco for the second time this season for fifth at 149. Lovett earned an escape in the second period, but Parco scored a last-second takedown to finish on top, 3-1. The Big Ten champion ends his NCAA run as three-time All-American and finishes the year with a 27-4 record.
In the 125 fifth-place match, No. 15 Caleb Smith (125) met No. 2 Luke Stanich (LEH) in a rematch of the pair’s bout in the second round. Smith battled, but Stanich was victorious with the 5-1 decision. Smith closed the weekend with his first career All-American honor and a sixth-place finish.
Seventh-Place Match
At 157, No. 8 Robb ended his Husker career surpassing 100 victories, earning his fourth all-american honor and finishing seventh. Robb used three takedowns to top No. 10 Jared Franek of Iowa and ended his career with a 102-35 mark.
No. 8 Antrell Taylor (165) met West Virginia’s No. 9 Peyton Hall for seventh. The two wrestled a tight match before Hall secured the 2-1 decision. The redshirt freshman concluded his impressive first career NCAA Championship with an eighth-place finish.
Cons. Semifinals
No. 9 Hardy (141) advanced to the third-place match after a medical forfeit from UNC’s No. 6 Lachlan McNeil.
No. 15 Smith met two-time All-American No. 12 Anthony Noto of Lock Haven at 125. The two were tied 1-1 after regulation, but Noto got the takedown in sudden victory to top Smith, 4-1. Top-seeded Lovett then wrestled No. 7 Tyler Kasak of Penn State. Kasak scored two takedowns in the opening period to go on and defeat Lovett by major decision, 10-1. Both Smith and Lovett went on to wrestle for fifth.
NCAA Championships
T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Mo.
Sessions I – VI
March 21-23, 2024
125: No. 15 Caleb Smith (4-3) 6th
First Round: No. 15 Smith dec. No. 15 Michael DeAugustino (MICH) 4-1 SV-1
Second Round: No. 15 Smith dec. No. 2 Luke Stanich (LEH) 4-1 SV-1
Quarterfinals: No. 10 Eric Barnett (WIS) dec. No. 15 Smith 4-3 TB-2
Round of 12: No. 15 Smith dec. No. 20 Stevo Poulin (UNCO) 5-0
Cons. Quarters: No. 15 Smith dec. No. 23 Tanner Jordan (SDSU) 5-2 SV-1
Cons. Semis: No. 12 Anthony Noto (LH) dec. No. 15 Smith 4-1 SV-1
Fifth-Place Match: No. 2 Luke Stanich (LEH) dec. No. 15 Smith 5-1
133: No. 14 Jacob Van Dee (1-2) DNP
First Round: No. 14 Van Dee dec. No. 19 Julian Farber (UNI) 5-1
Second Round: No. 3 Kai Orine (NCST) dec. No. 14 Van Dee 2-0
Cons. Second Round: No. 20 Tyler Wells (MINN) major dec. No. 14 Van Dee 11-2
141: No. 9 Brock Hardy (6-1) 3rd
First Round: No. 9 Hardy tech. fall No. 24 Danny Pucino (ILL) 20-4 (6:35)
Second Round: No. 9 Hardy dec. No. 8 Sergio Lemley (MICH) 10-4
Quarterfinals: No. 1 Jesse Mendez (OHST) dec. No. 9 Hardy 5-2
Round of 12: No. 9 Hardy dec. No. 11 Josh Koderhandt (NAVY) 7-3
Cons. Quarters: No. 9 Hardy pinned No. 4 Ryan Jack (NCST)
Cons. Semis: No. 9 Hardy tops No. 6 Lachlan McNeil (UNC) MFF
Third-Place Match: No. 9 Hardy dec. No. 3 Real Woods (IOWA) 7-6
149: No. 1 Ridge Lovett (3-3) 6th
First Round: No. 1 Lovett pinned No. 33 Michael Cetta (RUT) 1:30
Second Round: No. 1 Lovett dec. No. 17 Graham Rooks (IND) 11-4
Quarterfinals: No. 1 Lovett major dec. No. 8 Casey Swiderski (ISU) 14-4
Semifinals: No. 4 Caleb Henson (VT) dec. No. 1 Lovett 1-0
Cons. Semis: No. 7 Tyler Kasak (PSU) major dec. No. 1 Lovett 10-1
Fifth-Place Match: No. 2 Kyle Parco dec. No. 1 Lovett 3-1
157: No. 8 Peyton Robb (4-2) 7th
First Round: No. 8 Robb dec. No. 25 Trevor Chumbley (NW) 1-0
Second Round: No. 8 Robb dec. No. 9 Will Lewan (MICH) 11-6
Quarterfinals: No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU) major dec. No. 8 Robb 8-0
Round of 12: No. 8 Robb dec. No. 19 Tommy Askey (APP) 9-4
Cons. Quarters: No. 7 Peyten Kellar (OHIO) dec. No. 8 Robb 12-10
Seventh-Place Match: No. 8 Robb major dec. No. 10 Jared Franek (IOWA) 11-2
165: No. 8 Antrell Taylor (3-3) 8th
First Round: No. 8 Taylor major dec. No. 25 Holden Heller (PITT) 11-0
Second Round: No. 8 Taylor dec. No. 9 Peyton Hall (WVU) 11-9
Quarterfinals: No. 1 Keegan O’Toole (MIZZ) pinned No. 8 Taylor (4:06)
Round of 12: No. 8 Taylor dec. No. 14 Giano Petrucelli (AF) 11-6
Cons. Quarters: No. 7 Izzak Olejnik (OKST) dec. No. 8 Taylor 2-0
Seventh-Place Match: No. 9 Peyton Hall (WVU) dec. No. 8 Taylor 2-1
184: No. 5 Lenny Pinto (2-2) DNP
First Round: No. 5 Pinto tech. fall No. 28 Caleb Hopkins (CAMP) 25-8 (7:00)
Second Round: No. 5 Pinto dec. No. 12 Jaden Bullock (MICH) 4-2
Quarterfinals: No. 4 Trey Munoz (ORST) dec. No. 5 Pinto 5-3
Round of 12: No. 9 Bennett Berge (SDSU) dec. No. 5 Pinto 13-8
197: No. 10 Silas Allred (2-2) DNP
First Round: No. 10 Allred dec. No. 23 Luke Geog (OHST) 10-3
Second Round: No. 10 Allred dec. No. 26 Andy Smith (VT) 4-2
Quarterfinals: No. 2 Trent Hidlay (NCST) major dec. No. 10 Allred 11-3
Round of 12: No. 5 Jacob Cardenas (COR) dec. No. 10 Allred 5-2
HWT: No. 29 Nash Hutmacher (0-2) DNP
First Round: No. 4 Cohlton Schultz (ASU) dec. No. 29 Hutmacher 10-3
Cons. First Round: No. 20 Daniel Bucknavich (CSU) dec. No. 29 Hutmacher 5-2 SV-1
