Kearney, Neb. – The top-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team has secured its fifth National Championship and has three individuals in Saturday night's finals in Indiana.

The Lopers, who secured eight All-Americans after the second session Friday night, are up to 115.0 points with the four closest schools between 51-59.0 points. The 2021-22 squad holds the program record for points scored at the NCAA's (127.0); UNK's current 56-point margin of victory would be the sixth largest in the meet's 53-year history. Finally, the program also won titles in 2008 (108.5), 2012 (107.0) and 2013 (108.0). 

The Blue & Gold went 3-1 in the quarterfinals Saturday morning as sixth-year team member Nick James (149 lbs.), redshirt senior Jacobi Deal (174 lbs.) and redshirt sophomore Zach Ourada (125 lbs.) advanced with redshirt junior Jackson Kinsella (197 lbs.) dropping to the consolation bracket. James is in the NCAA finals for a second straight year (141 lbs. in 2024) with Deal and James making their first trip. Action begins at 6 p.m. Central at https://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/2025/03/15 ?

The placement matches were held in the afternoon with Kinsella battling back to finish third, redshirt junior Crew Howard (285 lbs.) and redshirt sophomore Joseph Airola (141 lbs.) finishing fourth, redshirt junior Hector Serratos (133 lbs.) winning the fifth-place match and redshirt senior Jacari Deal (184 lbs.) ending up eighth.

Ourada (Omaha Skutt) will square off against Omaha Burke graduate, Central Missouri senior and top-seeded Jakason Burks in his finals match. Ourada, who had to fight through the regional consolation bracket to reach Indianapolis, never trailed in beating Wisconsin-Parkside's Shane Corrigan for a second consecutive year at this meet. Two early takedowns and an escape gave Ourada a 7-5 lead after one. He tacked on six more points to win, 13-9.

Starting the year as a volunteer assistant coach, James (Kearney H.S.) won his first two matches in overtime but needed no such drama in beating top-seed and previously unbeaten Chris Donathan of Grand Valley (Mich.) State, 10-7, in the 149-pound semis. James used two first period takedowns and a second period reversal to improve to 7-0. The four-time All-American sees second-seeded Cael Larson of Augustana tonight. Next, Deal (Durham, N.C.) scored four points in the third period to best Matt Ortiz of McKendree (Ill.), 4-3. Deal's takedown was the only offensive points of the match and he now gets fifth-seeded Cole Ritter of Maryville (Mo.).

Kinsella (Creston, Ia.) was hoping to make it a clean sweep, but he fell to a very familiar foe in Fort Hays State senior Tereus Henry, 4-2. The two have squared off multiple times throughout the years with one takedown usually the deciding factor. That belonged to Henry today and came with 1:05 left. Kinsella finishes 23-8 after winning 8-7 in the consolation semis and besting Augie's Max Ramberg for a second time this weekend. 

Also in the consolation bracket, Serratos (Wichita) majored sixth-seed Sam Spencer of St. Cloud State, 12-1, to take the fifth-place match with Airola (Ward, Colo.) getting past fifth-seed Colton Stoneking of Fairmont State (W.V.), 4-1, in the console semis. Finally, Jacari Deal (Durham) suffered an OT loss in his consolation third round match with Howard (Creston, Ia.) avenging a first-round loss to Kutztown's Freddie Retter in the consolation semis, 10-2.

Largest Margin of Victory at D2 Championships
1982 – Cal State Bakersfield 166.5, North Dakota State 78.75 (87.75)
2009 – UNO 146.5, Newberry (S.C.) 80.5 (66)
1994 – UCO 127.24, Minnesota State-Mankato 65.5 (61.74)
1971 – Cal Poly 118, Slippery Rock (Pa.) 58 (60)
2010 – UNO 131, Augustana 72 (59)
2024 - UNK 115, Augustana 59 (56)


125 lbs. – 6th-seed Zachary Ourada (18-4) place is unknown and scored 16.0 team points
(2-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 – Zach Ourada won by major decision over 11th-seed Logan Sallot (Gannon, Pa.) (MD 10-2)
Quarterfinal – Zach Ourada won by decision over 3rd-seed Jaxson Rohman (Augustana) (Dec 5-3)
Semifinals – Zach Ourada won by decision over 10th-seed Shane Corrigan (UW-Parkside) (Dec 13-9)
Final – 1st-seed Jakason Burks (Central Missouri)
 
133 lbs. – 4th-seed Hector Serratos (24-7) place is 5th and scored 14.5 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)
Cons. Round 3 – Hector Serratos won by fall over 8th-seed Max Shore (Tiffin, Ohio) (1:33)
Cons. Semifinal – 2nd-seed Christian Davis (Lander, S.C.) won by decision over Hector Serratos (Dec 8-5)
5th-Place Match – Hector Serratos wins by major decision over 6th-seed Sam Spencer (St. Cloud State) (MD 12-1)
 
141 lbs. – 6th-seed Joseph Airola (21-9) place is 4th and scored 13.5 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)
Cons. Round 3 – Joseph Airola won by fall over 16th-seed Luke Kunath (Belmont Abbey, N.C.) (5:00)
Cons. Semifinal  – Joseph Airola won by decision over 5th-seed Colton Stoneking (Fairmont State, W.V.) (Dec 4-1)
3rd Place Match – 2nd-seed Sean Solis (Mary, N.D.) won by decision over Joseph Airola (Dec 12-7)
 
149 lbs. – 4th-seed Nick James (7-0) place is unknown and scored 15.0 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)
Semifinal – Nick James won by decision over 1st-seed Chris Donathan (Grand Valley State, Mich.) (Dec. 10-7)
Finals – 2nd-seed Cael Larson (Augustana)
 
157 lbs. - Cael Robb (14-14) scored 4.5 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)
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)
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 (22-4) place is unknown and scored 15.0 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 St.) (OT 2-2)
Semifinal – Jacobi Deal wins by decision over 7th-seed Matt Ortiz (McKendree, Ill.) (Dec 4-3)
Final – 5th-seed Cole Ritter (Maryville, Mo.)
 
184 lbs. – 9th-seed Jacari Deal (13-6) place is 8th 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 (Wis.-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)
Cons. Round 3 – 10th-seed Damon Ashworth (Central Missouri) won in sudden victory – 1 over Jacari Deal (SV-1 7-4)
7th-Place Match – 8th-seed Kyle Homet (Glenville State, W.V.) won by technical over Jacari Deal (TF- 6:26 17-2)
 
197 lbs. – 5th-seed Jackson Kinsella (23-8) place is 3rd and scored 14.0 team points
(2-time All-American)
Champ. Round 1 - Jackson Kinsella won by tech fall over 12th-seed Eli Reese (Gannon) (TF-4:50; 20-4)
Quarterfinal – Jackson Kinsella won by decision over 3rd-seed Max Ramberg (Augustana) (Dec 7-3)
Semifinal – 8th-seed Tereus Henry (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Jackson Kinsella (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Semifinal – Jackson Kinsella on by decision over 13th-seed Wyatt Miller (Grand Valley State, Mich.) (Dec. 8-7)
3rd Place Match – Jackson Kinsella wins by decision over 3rd-seed Max Ramberg (Augustana) (Dec 7-2)
 
285 lbs. – 1st-seed Crew Howard (28-2) place is 4th and scored 16.0 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 (UW-Parkside) (1:14)
Cons. Round 3 – Crew Howard wins by major decision over 3rd-seed Carter Blough (Grand Valley State, Mich.) (MD 14-1)
Cons. Semifinal – Crew Howard wins by major decision over 16th-seed Freddie Retter (Kutztown) (MD 10-2)
3rd Place Match – 4th-seed Dorian Crosby (Gannon, Pa.) won by decision over Crew Howard (Dec 4-2)