Kearney, Neb. -- The eighth ranked University of Nebraska Kearney wrestling team scored 127.5 points to win the 2011 RMAC Championships/NCAA Super Regional 4 at San Francisco State University, in San Francisco, Calf.
UNK ended Western State two year reign as RMAC Champions in the 11-team race, before Western State’s back to back win, UNK won the tournament from 2000-08.
For NCAA purposes, the Lopers qualified six individuals (top four finish) for the NCAA Championships. This year’s tournament is being hosted by UNK at the Health & Sports Center on March 11th & 12th.
Juniors T.J. Hepburn (East Hampton, Conn.) at 149 lbs., Dalton Jensen (Missouri Valley, IA) at 141 lbs., and Joey Wilson (Half Moon Bay, CA) at 165 lbs., all earned their first RMAC championships. Hepburn was named RMAC Wrestler of the year as well.
Hepburn now 33-3, pinned Mariano Montoya of Highlands in the first round, then earned a major decision against Auesten Moore from Grand Canyon, in the semifinals got a 10-4 decision against Kenny Jordan of Adams State to advance to the finals; where he pinned Mitchell Means of Fort Hays State in 2:29.
Jensen improved his recorded to 25-4, by getting a 16-3 major decision against Bery Tack of Mesa State, in the semifinals earned 4-2 decision against Chadron State Jimmy Savala of Chadron State, won by injury default in the finals against Naveed Bagheri of host San Francisco State.
Wilson the final RMAC Champ, started the tournament off with an 8-2 decision against Briston Brenton from Chadron State, then in the next round won 8-4 versus Jordan Larsen from Colorado Mines to advance to finals versus Dylan Granard and got 14-11 decision.
Fellow junior Caleb Kociemba (Hillsboro, Ore.) entered the tournament with 7-1 record, got back to back decisions without giving up any points to Zack Frazier of Western State and Trent Zempel of Chadron State, to advance to the finals and take on defending 165 lbs. RMAC Champion Victor Carzo of Grand Canyon.
Carzo would be the only person to score any points against Kociemba and win 174 lbs. championship on a 9-2 decision.
Senior Ben Hohensee (Monett, MO) got a pin and two decision to advance to the finals were Charlie Alexander of Western State was his opponent. Alexander earned 3-1 sudden victory win in dual three weeks, just like the previous meeting the score would be tied at 1 going to the overtime periods where Alexander got an escape to prevail with 2-1 victory.
Ross Brunkhardt (Merino, Colo.) would be the final qualifier for UNK at 184 lbs. Brunkhardt went 3-1 in the tournament; his only loss was to the eventual RMAC runner-up Ryan Becerra of Grand Canyon in the semifinals.
Among the four Lopers not wrestling at Nationals, sophomore 125 lbs. Josh Smith (Houston, Texas), sophomore 133 lbs. Stephen Weimer (Clovis, Calf.), sophomore 197 lbs. Nick Bauman (Brighton, Colo.) all finished in fifth place with a 3-2 record, and redshirt freshman Jared Hatley (Torrington, WY) went 0-2.
The brackets for the NCAA’s will be announced next week.
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