UNK Wrestling: #1 Lopers Go 6-4 in Session One, in the Lead at NCAA's

Kearney, Neb. – The top-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team has scored 14.0 points to lead the 2025 NCAA Division II Championships after session one in Friday afternoon in Indiana.

The Lopers went 8-4 in the morning period and have six still alive on the front side of the brackets. Action resumes tonight at 6 p.m. Central with UNK the higher seed in just two of the championship side matches. ​

MIAA rival Central Oklahoma (11.0), 13th-ranked Gannon of Pennsylvania (10.5) and 8th-ranked Lander of South Carolina (10.0) are right on UNK's heels with longtime power and 2nd-ranked St. Cloud State tied for eighth (8.5).

Redshirt senior Jacari Deal (Durham, N.C.) and redshirt freshman Cael Robb (Medford, Minn.) started things off by easily winning preliminary matches at 184 and 157 pounds, respectively. Deal had seven third-period points as part of a 14-4 major with Robb tallying eight points in the opening period to post an 18-1 tech fall. Both fell in the next round to higher seeded competition and moved to the consolation brackets.

At 125 pounds, redshirt sophomore Zach Ourada (Omaha Skutt) was up just 1-0 entering the third period before ripping off nine points to win by major with redshirt junior Hector Serratos (Wichita) having takedowns in each period to blank his competition at 133-pounds, 15-0. Next, redshirt sophomore Joseph Airola (Ward, Colo.) and sixth-year graduate Nick James (Kearney) were in battles at the next two weights. Airola got a takedown with 51 seconds left to edge Gannon's Caleb Chaves, 5-4, with James tallying three points with five seconds remaining in the first sudden victory period to win 5-2 over Glenville State's Gabriel Onorato. James fought off a late shot in the third and after he had tallied a reversal to briefly move into the lead.

In the middle and upper weights, redshirt juniors Trenton Munoz (Santa Clarita, Calif.) and Crew Howard (Clarinda, Ia.) suffered losses by decision at 165 and 285 pounds. Freshman Brent Nicolosi of Mount Olive (S.C.) took down Munoz with 38 seconds left to win 8-7 with Kutztown (Pa.) junior Freddie Retter scoring seven points in the closing seconds to upset Howard, 8-2. Finally, redshirt senior Jacobi Deal (Durham, N.C.) and redshirt junior Jackson Kinsella (Creston, Ia.) were dominant at 174 and 197 pounds to advance. Deal never trailed in winning 4-2 with Kinsella at six takedowns to win by tech fall, 20-4.

Friday live video link (for both track and wrestling) ... for wrestling, go to live results first & find the mat the Lopers are on via "Dashboard".
Then go to the live video link and click on the correct mat

125 lbs. – 6th-seed Zachary Ourada (16-4) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points
Champ. Round 1 – 6th-seed Zach Ourada won by major decision over 11th-seed Logan Sallot (Gannon, Pa.) (MD 10-2)
 
133 lbs. – 4th-seed Hector Serratos (21-5) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points
Champ. Round 1 - Hector Serratos won by tech fall over 13th-seed Thierno Diallo (Frostburg State, Md.) (TF 6:39; 15-0)
 
141 lbs. – 6th-seed Joseph Airola (18-7) place is unknown and scored 1.0 team points
Champ. Round 1 - Joseph Airola won by decision over 11th-seed Caleb Chaves (Gannon, Pa.) (Dec 5-4)
 
149 lbs. – 4th-seed Nick James (5-0) place is unknown and scored 1.0 team points
Champ. Round 1 - Nick James won in sudden victory - 1 over 13th-seed Gabriel Onorato (Glenville St., W.V.) (SV-1 5-2)
 
157 lbs. - Cael Robb (13-13) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points
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 maj dec over Cael Robb (MD 16-3)
 
165 lbs. – 7th-seed Trenton Munoz (20-7) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – 10th-seed Brent Nicolosi (Mount Olive, S.C.) won by decision over Trenton Munoz (Dec 8-7)
 
174 lbs. – 6th-seed Jacobi Deal (20-4) place is unknown and scored 1.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jacobi Deal won by decision over 11th-seed Dalton Gimbor (Kutztown) (Dec 4-2)
 
184 lbs. – 9th-seed Jacari Deal (11-4) place is unknown and scored 1.5 team points
Prelim - Jacari Deal won by major decision over Matthew Rodriguez (Fort Hays St.) (MD 14-4)
Champ. Round 1 – 5th-seed Reece Worachek (Wis.-Parkside) won by decision over Jacari Deal (Dec 10-3)
 
197 lbs. – 5th-seed Jackson Kinsella (20-7) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points
Champ. Round 1 - Jackson Kinsella won by tech fall over 12th-seed Eli Reese (Gannon) (TF-4:50; 20-4)
 
285 lbs. – 1st-seed Crew Howard (24-1) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points
Champ. Round 1 – 16th-seed Freddie Retter (Kutztown) won by decision over Crew Howard (Dec 8-2)