#1 Lopers in Command at NCAA's

The top-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team will have eight All-Americans and has a 26.5-point lead after the first day of the 2025 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Indianapolis.

The Lopers went 8-4 this morning in session one and then advanced four to the semifinals on Friday night. Additionally, four fought their way through the consolation side to secure a top eight finish, good for AA status. Session three (semifinals, third round consolation, & console semis) starts Saturday at 9 a.m. Central with finals set for 6 p.m. and followed by the crowning of the national championship team.

UNK (64.0 points) is in great shape to secure its fifth trophy as 8th-ranked Lander of South Carolina (37.5) is well behind in second place. The Bearcats have three in the semifinals but only one left on the backside. St. Cloud State (35.5) is in third with the Huskies at five AA's and two in the semis.

Sixth-year veteran Nick James (149 lbs.), redshirt senior Jacobi Deal (174 lbs.), redshirt junior Jackson Kinsella (197 lbs.), and redshirt sophomore Zach Ourada (125 lbs.) reached the semifinals to secure a top four finish. Next, redshirt senior Jacari Deal (184 lbs.), redshirt juniors Crew Howard (285 lbs.) and Hector Serratos (133 lbs.), and redshirt sophomore Joseph Airola (141 lbs.) will all finish between fifth and eighth. Finally, redshirt junior Trenton Munoz (165 lbs.) and redshirt freshman Cael Robb (157 lbs.) have been eliminated from the tournament and combined for 4.5 team points.

For the third time this season Ourada (Omaka Skutt) faced Augustana's Jaxson Rohman and for the third time Ourada won. Outscoring him by a 14-0 margin in the two previous meetings, Ourada erased a 3-0 hole thanks to a second period takedown and escape to win by two, 5-3. He'll face ninth-seed Shane Corrigan of Wisconsin-Parkside in the semis; Ourada beat him by a 5-3 score in last year's fifth-place match.   

James (Kearney H.S.) won his first match in overtime and did it again in the quarters but it took some extra work to get there. Facing 12th-seed Joey Semerad of McKendree (Ill.), it appeared James would be taken down in extra time, but he managed to stay alive. He then turned the tables and scored five points, but a video review had to confirm the 6-1 win. Now UNK's ninth four-time AA, James squares off top-seed and unbeaten Chris Donathan of Grand Valley (Mich.) State.

Kinsella (Creston, Ia.) also had a familiar foe in his quarters match in Augie's Max Ramberg. Twice this year Ramberg won by 4-1 scores in sudden victory but there would be no drama this time as Kinsella had two takedowns as part of a 7-3 win. He next faces an even more familiar foe in eighth seed and Fort Hays State veteran Tereus Henry. Finally on the front side, Deal (Durham, N.C.)  "won" by criteria in overtime over third-seed Bryce Dagel of St. Cloud State, 2-2. A few minutes before, Munoz (Santa Clarita, Calif.) saw his season end after being on the wrong side of a 2-2 OT loss. Deal will next take on seventh-seed Matt Ortiz of McKendree Saturday morning.

In the other weights, Serratos (Wichita, Kan.) bounced back from a one-point loss to major a MIAA foe in the consolation second round with Airola (Ward, Colo.) suffering a 2-1 loss in the second tie breaker in the quarters. He then rallied past 12th-seeded Colton Kush of Minnesota State, 4-3, to earn AA status. Finally, Jacari (Durham, N.C.) and Howard (Clarinda, Ia.) both won two console matches, three via bonus points.
 

125 lbs. – 6th-seed Zach Ourada (17-4) place is unknown and scored 9.0 team points
(2-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 – 6th-seed Zach Ourada won by major decision over 11th-seed Logan Sallot (Gannon, Pa.) (MD 10-2)
Quarterfinal – 6th-seed Zach Ourada won by decision over 3rd-seed Jaxson Rohman (Augustana) (Dec 5-3)
 
133 lbs. – 4th-seed Hector Serratos (22-6) place is unknown and scored 7.0 team points
(1-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 - Hector Serratos won by tech fall over 13th-seed Thierno Diallo (Frostburg State, Md.) (TF 6:39; 15-0)
Quarterfinal – 5th-seed James Anderson (Ouachita Baptist, Ark.) won by decision over Hector Serratos (Dec 5-4)
Cons. Round 2 – Hector Serratos won by major decision over 12th-seed James Wright (Central Missouri) (MD 11-2)
 
141 lbs. – 6th-seed Joseph Airola (19-8) place is unknown and scored 4.5 team points
(1-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 - Joseph Airola won by decision over 11th-seed Caleb Chaves (Gannon, Pa.) (Dec 5-4)
Quarterfinal – 14th-seed Khyvon Grace (West Liberty, W.V.) won by tie breaker-2 over Joseph Airola (TB-2; 2-1)
Cons. Round 2 – Joseph Airola won by decision over 12th-seed Colton Kush (Minnesota State (Dec. 4-3)
 
149 lbs. – 4th-seed Nick James (6-0) place is unknown and scored 8.0 team points
(4-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 - Nick James won in sudden victory - 1 over 13th-seed Gabriel Onorato (Glenville St., W.V.) (SV-1 5-2)
Quarterfinal – Nick James won in sudden victory – 1 over 12th-seed Joey Semerad (McKendree, Ill.) (SV-1 6-1)
 
157 lbs. - Cael Robb (14-14)
(1-time NCAA qualifier)
Prelim - Cael Robb won by tech fall over Lance Overmyer (Ashland, Ohio) (TF 6:33; 18-1)
Champ. Round 1 – 7th-seed Trent Mahoney (King, Tenn.) won by major dec over Cael Robb (MD 16-3)
Cons. Round 1 – Cale Robb win by tech fall over Ethan Richner (Gannon, Pa.) (TF 6:37; 16-1)
Cons. Round 2 – Kaden Renner (Mary, N.D.) won by major decision over Cael Robb (MD 11-0)
 
165 lbs. – 7th-seed Trenton Munoz (20-8)
(2-time NCAA qualifier)
Champ. Round 1 – 10th-seed Brent Nicolosi (Mount Olive, S.C.) won by decision over Trenton Munoz (Dec 8-7)
Cons. Round 1 – 15th-seed Jace Fisher (Newman) won in the ultimate tie breaker over Trenton Munoz (UTB 2-2)
 
174 lbs. – 6th-seed Jacobi Deal (21-4) place is unknown and scored 8.0 team points
(1-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 - Jacobi Deal won by decision over 11th-seed Dalton Gimbor (Kutztown) (Dec 4-2)
Quarterfinal – Jacobi Deal won in overtime over 3rd-seed Bryce Dagel (St. Cloud State) (OT 2-2)
 
184 lbs. – 9th-seed Jacari Deal (13-4) place is unknown and scored 6.5 team points
(1-time All-American)
Prelim - Jacari Deal won by major decision over Matthew Rodriguez (Fort Hays St.) (MD 14-4)
Champ. Round 1 – 5th-seed Reece Worachek (Wisconsin-Parkside) won by decision over Jacari Deal (Dec 10-3)
Cons. Round 1 – Jacari Deal won by decision over Noah Gnibus (Pittsburg-Johnstown (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Jacari Deal won by major decision over 11th-seed Austin Gibson (Fairmont State, W.V.) (MD 16-4)
 
197 lbs. – 5th-seed Jackson Kinsella (21-7) place is unknown and scored 9.5 team points
(2-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 - Jackson Kinsella won by tech fall over 12th-seed Eli Reese (Gannon, Pa.) (TF-4:50; 20-4)
Quarterfinal – Jackson Kinsella won by decision over 3rd-seed Max Ramberg (Augustana) (Dec 7-3)
 
285 lbs. – 1st-seed Crew Howard (26-1) place is unknown and scored 7.0 team points
(2-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 – 16th-seed Freddie Retter (Kutztown) won by decision over Crew Howard (Dec 8-2)
Cons. Round 1 – Crew Howard won by major decision over 8th-seed Luke Tweeton (Mary, N.D.) (MD 9-0)
Cons. Round 2 – Crew Howard wins by fall over 7th-seed Lloyd Reynolds (Wisconsin-Parkside (Fall 1:14)