Mikey Labriola and Taylor Venz advance to the 2021 NCAA Championship quarterfinals after picking up victories in their respective second round matches on Thursday evening. Eight Nebraska wrestlers remain alive in the tournament as the team ends the first day at the national championships tied for ninth place with 14.5 points. 
 
Labriola (174) was the first Husker to secure his spot in Friday's quarterfinals, defeating Arizona State's #20 Trenton Munoz by decision, 5-3. Labriola scored two takedowns and an escape to advance. He will make his second NCAA Championship quarterfinal appearance for his career. 
 
Venz earned his spot in his first NCAA Championships quarterfinal match with a 10-4 decision over Missouri's #9 Jeremiah Kent. The senior scored eight points in the final minute of the match, including four backpoints, to keep moving through the championship bracket. 
 
Liam Cronin, Ridge Lovett, Chad Red Jr. and Peyton Robb fell in their respective second round bouts, but will wrestle back through the consolation bracket on Friday. Cronin (125) fell to Central Michigan's #4 Drew Hildebrandt, 1-2, as riding time proved to be the deciding factor that would send Cronin to wrestlebacks. Lovett (149) dropped a 3-5 decision to Iowa's Max Murin as the Big Ten Championships rematch went in the Hawkeye's favor this time. Red Jr. (141) managed to come from behind and tie up his second round match but was unable to hold off Central Michigan's #9 Dresden Simon's offense and dropped the bout, 3-6. Robb (165) was defeated by Pittsburgh's #3 Jake Wentzel, 1-8, to move to the consolation bracket. 
 
Both Eric Schultz (197) and Christian Lance (285) ended the night by advancing in the consolation bracket. Schultz earned a 4-2 decision over Navy's #18 Jacob Koser in the first consolation round, scoring a takedown and a reversal to earn his first win on the day. Lance met Edinboro's #28 Jon Spaulding in the first consolation round, earning the winning takedown in the final seconds of the match to stay alive in the consolation bracket. 
 
Closing his 2020-21 season, Caleb Licking fell in the first consolation round to Navy's #21 Andrew Cerniglia by 3-5 decision. The senior finishes the season 5-8 overall after competing at his first career NCAA Championships. He is 33-25 overall in his career as a Husker. 
 
Session III quarterfinals and consolation matches get started Friday at 10 a.m. (CT). Semifinals will be contested starting at 7 p.m. (CT). 
 
2021 NCAA Championships 
St. Louis, Mo. | Enterprise Center 
Individual Results – Sessions I and II
 
125 pounds: #13 Liam Cronin (1-1)
First Round: #13 Liam Cronin (NEB) pinned Jake Ferri (KENT), 6:29
Second Round: #4 Drew Hildebrandt (CMU) dec. #13 Liam Cronin (NEB), 2-1
Cons. Second Round: #13 Liam Cronin (NEB) vs. #14 Jaret Lane (LEH)
 
141 pounds: #8 Chad Red Jr. (1-1)
First Round: #8 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) dec. #25 Drew Mattin (MICH), 8-6
Second Round: #9 Dresden Simon (CMU) dec. #8 Chad Red Jr. (NEB), 6-3
Cons. Second Round: #8 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) vs. #7 Ian Parker (ISU)
 
149 pounds: #5 Ridge Lovett (1-1)
First Round: #5 Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. #28 Peyton Omania (MSU), 6-4 SV
Second Round: #12 Max Murin (IOWA) dec. #5 Ridge Lovett (NEB), 5-3
Cons. Second Round: #5 Ridge Lovett (NEB) vs. #27 Josh Finesilver (DUKE)
 
157 pounds: #28 Caleb Licking (0-2) - DNP
First Round: #5 Kaleb Young (IOWA) major dec. #28 Caleb Licking (NEB), 10-2
Cons. First Round: #21 Andrew Cerniglia (NAVY) dec. #28 Caleb Licking (NEB), 5-3
 
165 pounds: #14 Peyton Robb (1-1)
First Round: #14 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. #19 Gerrit Nijenhuis (PUR), 4-1
Second Round: #3 Jake Wentzel (PITT) dec. #14 Peyton Robb (NEB), 8-1
Cons. Second Round: #14 Peyton Rob (NEB) vs. #20 Cole Moody (WYO)
 
174 pounds: #4 Mikey Labriola (2-0)
First Round: #4 Mikey Labriola (NEB) def. #29 Lance Runyon (UNI), Medical Forfeit
Second Round: #4 Mikey Labriola (NEB) dec. #20 Trenton Munoz (ASU), 5-3
Quarterfinals: #4 Mikey Labriola (NEB) vs. #12 Bernie Truax (Cal Poly)
 
184 pounds: #8 Taylor Venz (2-0)
First Round: #8 Taylor Venz (NEB) tech. fall #25 Matthew Waddell (CHAT), 19-0 (5:15)
Second Round: #8 Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. #9 Jeremiah Kent (MIZZ), 10-4
Quarterfinals: ##8 Taylor Venz (NEB) vs. #1 Aaron Brooks (PSU)
 
197 pounds: #2 Eric Schultz (1-1)
First Round: #31 Owen Pentz (NDSU) pinned #2 Eric Schultz (NEB), 4:51
Cons. First Round: #2 Eric Schultz (NEB) dec. #18 Jacob Koser (NAVY), 4-2
Cons. Second Round: #2 Eric Schultz (NEB) vs. #16 Jake Jakobsen (LEH)
 
285 pounds: #12 Christian Lance (1-1)
First Round: #21 Tate Orndorff (OHST) dec. #12 Christian Lance (NEB), 2-1
Cons. First Round: #12 Christian Lance dec. #28 Jon Spaulding (EDIN), 3-2
Cons. Second Round: #12 Christian Lance vs. #11 Zach Elam (MIZZ)
 
Team Results (Top 10)
1. Iowa – 33.5 pts.
2. Penn State 28.0 pts.
3. Missouri – 23.5 pts.
4. NC State – 21.0 pts.
5. Oklahoma State – 20.0 pts.
6. Arizona State – 19.5 pts. 
7. Minnesota – 16.5 pts. 
8. Michigan – 16.0 pts. 
T-9. Nebraska – 14.5 pts.
T-9. Virginia Tech – 14.5 pts. 

Haebig Earns All-America Honor

Greensboro, N.C. - Autumn Haebig became the first Nebraska swimmer to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Championships since 2006, racing to a 14th-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday night at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.

Haebig, a senior from Grafton, Wis., captured an honorable-mention All-America award by posting a time of 4:42.32 in the consolation final. She earned a spot in the finals with a season-best time a 4:42.28 in the 500 free prelims on Thursday morning. Haebig's performance earned Nebraska three teams points to put the Huskers on the board early in the competition.

The Husker's head coach, Pablo Morales, honored Autumn Haebig's finish in Thursday's race.

"It was a very good first day for us," Morales said. "Autumn had a great race in the preliminaries and earned her a spot in the consolation finals and finished 14th. She moved up 18 spots, which is just s testament of how hard she works."

In other action on Thursday, Abigail Knapton and Sara Troyer competed for the Huskers in the prelims of the one-meter diving event. Knapton just missed out on a spot in the consolation final, posting a score of 277.00 to finish 19th. Knapton, a fifth-year senior from Omaha and a four-time All-American, finished just 1.60 points behind 16th-place Ashley McCool from Florida in the prelims.

Troyer, a junior from Goshen, Ind., added a 25th-place finish with a score of 265.70. A two-time CSCAA All-American for the Huskers last season, Troyer will join Knapton back in the diving well for the three-meter competition on Friday.

It's just been a great year and these girls continue to show the benefits of fully dedicating themselves," Morales said. "Even in an odd year like this, it's really showing how much of a concerted effort they've made to really perform at the top of their game."

Haebig, the 2021 Big Ten champion in the 200 free, will be back in the water to compete in the event at nationals on Friday as well. Preliminary action begins at 9 a.m. in Greensboro with live video coverage by ESPN3 and the WatchESPN App.

11 Huskers Earn Academic All-Big Ten Honors

The Nebraska men's gymnastics team had 11 gymnasts earn Academic All-Big Ten honors announced the Big Ten Conference. Jake Bonnay, Cooper Giles, Evan Hymanson, Khalil Jackson, Dylan LeClair, Moritz Mueller, Zach Peters, Sam Phillips, Mitch Tyndall, Noah Urwiler and Dylan Young are among those who were honored. 

This is senior Jake Bonnay's fourth time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Bonnay has also claimed CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors, a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll five times, and the Nebraska Bronze Academic Medallion for his dedication in the classroom.

This is sophomore Cooper Giles' first time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Giles has also earned CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors and a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll twice for his dedication in the classroom.

This is senior Evan Hymanson's third time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Hymanson has also been named a CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete three times, earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll nine times, the Nebraska Gold Academic Medallion, is a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for his dedication in the classroom.

This is sophomore Khalil Jackson's second time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Jackson has also been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll four times and has earned the Nebraska Bronze Academic Medallion for his dedication in the classroom.

This is junior Dylan LeClair's second time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. LeClair has also been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll five times, earned CGA All-America Scholar Athlete honors twice and earned the Nebraska Silver Academic Medallion for his dedication in the classroom.

This is sophomore Moritz Mueller's first time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Mueller has also been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll three times and was named a CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete for his dedication in the classroom.

This is senior Zach Peters' third time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Peters has also been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll four times, earned the Nebraska Bronze Academic Medallion and earned CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors three times for his dedication in the classroom. 

This is sophomore's Sam Phillips' first time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Phillips has also been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll three times and was named a CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete for his dedication in the classroom.

This is senior Mitch Tyndall's third time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Tyndall has also been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll seven times and has earned the Nebraska Bronze Academic Medallion for his dedication in the classroom.

This is sophomore Noah Urwiler's second time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Urwiler has also been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll three times, earned the Nebraska Bronze Academic Medallion and has been named a CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete for his dedication in the classroom.

This is sophomore Dylan Young's first time earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Young has also been named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll three times and has earned CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors for his dedication in the classroom. 

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team who have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. 

The Huskers are set to return to competition this Saturday, March 20 against the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Iowa. The meet will begin at 3:00 p.m. CT and will be on the Big Ten Network.

Lutz to Pursue Coaching Opportunities

Lincoln – Nebraska men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced Thursday that special assistant Bobby Lutz is leaving the Husker program to pursue coaching opportunities.
 
For the last two seasons, Lutz has served as the Huskers Special Assistant to the Head Coach, helping with game planning, non-conference scheduling and assisting Hoiberg and the Husker staff in the day-to-day operation.  Lutz has won nearly 400 games as a collegiate head coach and helped his programs reach postseason play 22 times as either a head coach or assistant coach.
 
Statement from Bobby Lutz
"When I agreed to join Fred at Nebraska as Special Assistant, there was positive momentum in the NCAA for allowing an additional person to actively coach during practice and games. That has not happened. While I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Lincoln and will always be grateful to Fred for allowing me to be a part in building the foundation of this program, I miss coaching and recruiting. Therefore, I am leaving Nebraska to pursue coaching opportunities and look forward to the next challenge. We loved our time in Lincoln and met many special friends whom we will forever cherish. All the best.  #GBR

Statement from Fred Hoiberg
"Bobby has been a great resource for our staff the past two years and appreciate all of his contributions in helping build the foundation of our program in Lincoln. He has been a great sounding board for me at both Iowa State and Nebraska and has an outstanding basketball mind.  He has a passion for coaching and wanted to get back on the sideline."

Six Huskers Named to Academic All-Big Ten

Chicago, Ill. -- Six Husker gymnasts have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, as announced by the conference on Wednesday.

The list features seniors Anika Dujakovich and Megan Verceles Carr, junior Kynsee Roby and sophomores Clara Colombo, Kylie Piringer and Kathryn Thaler. Dujakovich and Roby earn their third Academic All-Big Ten honors, while Verceles Carr picks up her second.

Dujakovich, Verceles Carr and Roby's honors showcase their continued success in the classroom. All three upperclassmen also were named WCGA Scholastic All-Americans in 2020 and have received multiple honors for their academic achievements. Colombo and Piringer also added Academic All-Big Ten honors to accompany their WCGA Scholastic All-American achievement from 2020.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team, as verified by being on the official squad list as of March 1 for winter sports, who have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

The Huskers head to Minneapolis, Minn. to take part in the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 20. NU will take the floor for the 12 p.m. session, which will be broadcast on BTN. 

Huskers vs. Illini Postponed to Friday

The Nebraska women's soccer game scheduled for Thursday, March 18 at Illinois has been postponed due to inclement weather. The match will be played tomorrow, March 19 at 10:30 a.m. with broadcast information to be determined.