The No. 2 Nebraska wrestling team delivered an emphatic 33-3 victory over No. 23 Army West Point in its home opener Friday night, thrilling a crowd of 4,396 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center — the sixth-largest home attendance in program history.
After dropping the opening bout at 125 pounds, the Huskers rebounded with dominant performances across the next nine matches to claim a decisive dual win.
The night began with Bennington native No. 32 Kael Lauridsen facing off against No. 25 Charlie Farmer, with Lauridsen dropping a 4-1 sudden victory decision that briefly gave Army a 3-0 edge. From that point on, Nebraska took complete control, starting with No. 11 Jacob Van Dee at 133 pounds, who defeated No. 23 Ethan Berginc in an 8-1 decision. Van Dee used a three-second near fall, a takedown, and 2:20 of riding time to tie the dual at 3-3 and shift momentum in favor of the Big Red. At 141, second-ranked Brock Hardy dominated his matchup against No. 25 Braden Basile with an 18-2 technical fall, earning five team points behind four takedowns, a near fall, and a 1:23 riding time advantage. The senior from Brigham City, Utah, showed why he’s one of the nation’s best, building on Nebraska’s early lead.
True freshman Nikade Zinkin followed at 149 pounds, grinding out a 4-1 decision over Ryan Franco. After a tight bout that went into sudden victory, Zinkin secured a decisive takedown to extend the Huskers’ lead. In the 157-pound match, reigning national champion and top-ranked Antrell Taylor controlled No. 22 Joseph Antonio throughout, claiming a 5-1 decision with an early takedown, a third-period escape, and over a minute of riding time. His win stretched Nebraska’s team lead to 14-3 entering intermission.
When competition resumed, No. 22 LJ Araujo took on No. 16 Gunner Filipowicz at 165 pounds in a closely contested battle. Araujo built a 3-0 lead in the first period, only for Filipowicz to tie it late, but Araujo escaped in the third and added riding time to finish with a 5-3 decision. Nebraska’s momentum surged even further at 174 pounds, where No. 4 Christopher Minto overwhelmed Army’s Andrew Christie with four takedowns and over a minute of riding time per period, cruising to a 16-4 major decision that gave the Huskers a commanding 21-3 lead.
The Devaney Center crowd roared in the following match as No. 6 Silas Allred, one of Nebraska’s most explosive upperweights, pinned David Barrett in the first period. Allred wasted no time, recording two takedowns and a quick four-second near fall to deliver six team points in emphatic fashion. At 197 pounds, No. 6 Camden McDanel kept the energy high, earning a 6-1 win over No. 27 Wolfgang Frable with a late takedown that capped off a steady, controlled performance.
The dual concluded with one of the night’s most anticipated moments as No. 2 AJ Ferrari made his Nebraska debut at heavyweight against No. 13 Brian Colbert. After a scoreless first period, Ferrari escaped in the second and sealed the match with a third-period takedown, winning 4-0 and putting the finishing touch on Nebraska’s commanding 33-3 team victory.
With the win, the Huskers showcased their depth, dominance, and championship potential, honoring last year’s national champions Antrell Taylor and Ridge Lovett while thrilling one of the largest home crowds in program history.
Reining 157lbs national champion Antrell Taylor waves to the crowd after being introduced before his banner is unveiled in the Devaney rafters. / Amarillo Mullen
149lbs reigning national champion Ridge Lovett returned for alumni night. / Amarillo Mullen
Ridge Lovett and Antrell Taylor’s championship banners are unveiled at Devaney. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s Kael Lauridsen wrestles Army’s Charlie Farmer in the 125lbs matchup. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s Jacob Van Dee blocks a takedown from Army’s Ethan Berginc at 133lbs. / Amarillo Mullen
Jacob Van Dee got Nebraska’s first dual win of the evening after beating Army’s Ethan Berginc 8-1. / Amarillo Mullen
Brock Hardy celebrates his 18-2 tech fall victory over Braden Basile. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s Nikade Zinkin attempts a takedown on Army’s Ryan Franco at 149lbs. / Amarillo Mullen
Nikade Zinkin got the win in sudden victory in his first dual in Lincoln. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s reigning national champion, Antrell Taylor, wrestles Army’s Joe Antonio in the 157lbs dual. / Amarillo Mullen
Antrell Taylor gets his arm raised after his 5-1 win. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s LJ Araujo throws Army’s Gunner Filipowicz to the mat in an attempted takedown. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s Christopher Minto tries to roll Army’s Andrew Christie. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s Silas Allred attempts to complete the takedown on Army’s David Barrett. / Amarillo Mullen
Silas Allred collects near fall points prior to his pin on Barrett. / Amarillo Mullen
Silas Allred celebrates his victory by fall at 184lbs. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s Camden McDanel throws Army’s Wolfgang Frable to the mat. / Amarillo Mullen
Camden McDanel celebrates his 197lbs dual win. / Amarillo Mullen
Nebraska’s AJ Ferrari attempts to block a takedown from Army’s Brady Colbert. / Amarillo Mullen
AJ Ferrari celebrates his 4-0 win at heavyweight. / Amarillo Mullen
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