James Green defeated Ian Miller to place third at the 2014 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Green finished third last year at 157 pounds after entering the tournament as the top seed after winning his first Big Ten Championship. He'd previously placed seventh on two occasions for the Huskers. Green went 35-2 in 2013-14 and has a career collegiate mark of 94-17.
Miller, from Oak Harbor, Ohio, will be the first wrestler from Kent State to appear in the All-Star Classic since Nic Bedelyon represented the Golden Flashes at 125 pounds in 2011 in Tempe, Arizona. Miller won the Mid-American Conference championship last season, his first since moving up from 149 pounds after he redshirted in 2012-13. Miller comes into the season with a career record of 60-11, going 31-6 in 2013-14.
The two met once last season, with Green scoring a decisive 13-1 major decision in the third-place match at 157 pounds in Oklahoma City. Combined, the two earned 35 bonus victories with Miller earning 10 falls and Green picking up 10 major decisions.
Green's participation in the All-Star Classic will mark the 22nd time a Husker has wrestled in the event, but the first since 2009. Nebraska holds an overall record of 11-10 individually with the two most recent wins coming in 2009 at Fullerton, California where Jordan Burroughs and Stephen Dwyer earned individual victories. Also in 2009, Craig Brester competed at 197 pounds.
Miller joins Bedelyon as the only wrestlers in Kent State history to compete in the event. Bedelyon gave Kent State the program's first win in 2009 with a 7-3 victory over Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma.
"Wrestlers from Nebraska have continually been involved in the All-Star Classic since 1983," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "It's been a few years since we've been able to have wrestlers from Mark Manning's program compete in the event, while this is only Kent State's second-ever appearance. This type of matchup shows how diverse the talent is within Division I wrestling as you've got a wrestler from the nation's toughest conference -- the Big Ten -- and one from one of the rising forces in wrestling -- the MAC. Despite the outcome the last time these two wrestled, I believe the fans will enjoy the show James Green and Ian Miller will put on at the Palestra."
To purchase tickets to the event, click here for the Penn Athletic Ticket Office.
Follow on Social Media!
For more information on the All-Star Classic, visit www.theallstarclassic.com and follow the NWCA on Facebook and Twitter. Fans can join the discussion with the#NWCAClassic hashtag. Fans should keep an eye on the discussion as there will be contests and interactive discussions about the event via Twitter and Facebook!
Competing wrestlers will be eligible for the Outstanding Wrestler Award, presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network - Atlanta Chapter.
Announced matchups:
125: Nahshon Garrett, Jr. (Cornell) vs. Joey Dance, So. (Virginia Tech)
133: A.J. Schopp, Sr. (Edinboro) vs. Mason Beckman, Jr. (Lehigh)
141:
149:
157: James Green, Sr. (Nebraska) vs. Ian Miller, Jr. (Kent State)
165:
174:
184: Gabe Dean, So. (Cornell) vs. Jack Dechow, So. (Old Dominion)
197:
285:
Showcase matchups to be announced
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