Big Red Claim Third-Straight Navy Classic Title

Four Huskers claimed individual titles at the 2024 Navy Classic on Saturday, pushing Nebraska to win its third-straight Navy Classic team title with 150 points. Caleb Smith (125), Brock Hardy (141), Antrell Taylor (157) and Silas Allred (187) won their weight classes outright, while Bubba Wilson and Christopher Minto (165) went no contest in the final to share the championship.

Ten of the 14 competing Huskers placed, with Lenny Pinto (174) and Harley Andrews (HWT) finishing second, Alan Koehler (125) and freshman Camden McDanel (197) finishing in fourth. Freshman LJ Araujo (174) came in fifth in his first Navy Classic.

At 125, No. 3 Smith went 5-0, with two ranked wins to claim his back-to-back Navy Classic championship. The Husker used a first round fall, a major dec., and three decisions to defend his title. At 141, No. 4 Hardy faced a top-10 matchup in the final round, but defeated Navy’s Joshua Koderhandt with a 10-3 decision to finish 5-0. With the win, Hardy successfully defended his 141 title for the third season in a row.

Despite the weight class change, No. 3 Taylor still took the title, this time at 157. Taylor went 4-0, with two tech., falls, a pin, and a sudden-victory decision to claim the championship. At 165, the final came down to two Huskers, Minto and Wilson. The pair’s bout went no contest, both wrestlers sharing the title for first. Allred took his second Navy Classic title, after also winning at 197 in the 2022-23 season. No. 5 Allred led a dominant tournament campaign, finishing 5-0 with two pins, one tech., fall, and two major decisions.

Behind the Huskers, Oregon State (130.5 pts) and Navy (103), claimed second and third respectively.

Up next, the Huskers take on the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas. The tournament, Dec. 6-7, will feature 31 programs and is set to be streamed on FloWrestling. The Big Red look to improve on their second-place finish from the 2023-24 season.

125 - #3 Caleb Smith - 1st (5-0)
Round of 32: #3 Smith pinned Grayson Mclellan (Bucknell) (1:47)
Round of 16: #3 Smith dec. Gylon Sims (The Citadel) 8-4
Quarterfinal: #3 Smith major dec. Blaine Frazier (Indiana) 14-4 
Semifinal: #3 Smith dec. #22 Jacob Moran (Indiana) 2-1
Final: #3 Smith dec. #23 Maximo Renteria (Oregon State) 4-3

125 - Alan Koehler - 4th (3-2)
Round of 32: Koehler dec. Tyeler Hagensen (Kent State) 8-3
Round of 16: Koehler tech. fall Genaro De Le Garza (The Citadel) 19-4 (2:08)
Quarterfinal: Koehler major dec. Garrett Totten (Navy) 18-7
Semifinal: #23 Maximo Renteria (Oregon State) dec. Koehler 7-3 SV-1
Third-Place Match: #22 Jacob Moran (Indiana) dec. Koehler 8-2 

133 - Hayden Mills - DNP (1-2)
Round of 16: Logan Frazier (Indiana) pinned Mills (0:53)
Cons. of 8 #1: Mills dec. TJ England (Ohio) 7-4
Cons. of 8 #2: Damion Elliott (Oregon State) dec. Mills 12-5

141 - #4 Brock Hardy - 1st (5-0)
Round of 32: #4 Hardy tech. fall Paul Woo (Ohio) 20-3 (5:39)
Round of 16: #4 Hardy pinned Landen Duncan (Cleveland State) (2:10)
Quarterfinal: #4 Hardy pinned Henry Porter (Indiana) (3:28)
Semifinal: #4 Hardy dec. #24 Dylan Chappell (Bucknell) 2-0 
Final: #4 Hardy dec. #9 Joshua Koderhandt (Navy) 10-3

141 - Blake Cushing - DNP (1-2)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Cushing tech. fall Ethan Lebin (Bucknell) 18-2 (4:26)
Quarterfinal: Nash Singleton (Oregon State) dec. Cushing 8-3
Cons. of 8 #2: Jordan Decatur (Kent State) dec. Cushing 8-6

149 - Scott Robertson - DNP (2-2)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Robertson major dec. Kaemen Smith (Navy) 19-6
Quarterfinal: Billy Meiszner (Kent State) dec. Robertson 11-4
Cons. of 8 #2: Robertson dec. Kyrell Leavell (The Citadel) 11-9
Cons. of 4: Nathan Roth (Kent State) pinned Robertson (1:23)

157 - #3 Antrell Taylor - 1st (4-0)
Round of 16: #3 Taylor pinned Doug Terry (Cleveland State) (1:53)
Quarterfinal: #3 Taylor tech. fall Tyler Badgett (The Citadel) 19-3 (4:46)
Semifinal: #3 Taylor tech. fall Cade Wirnsberger (Bucknell) 20-5 (6:42)
Final: #3 Taylor dec. #25 Ethan Stiles (Oregon State) 10-5 SV-1

165 - #18 Bubba Wilson - T-1st (3-0)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: #18 Wilson over Richie Grungo (Lehigh) MFF
Quarterfinal: #18 Wilson major dec. Carson Miller (Kent State) 13-1 
Semifinal: #18 Wilson major dec. Tyler Sagi (Navy) 18-7
Final: #18 Wilson vs. Christopher Minto (Nebraska) NC

165 - Christopher Minto - T-1st (3-0)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Minto tech. fall Bobby Gaylord (Ohio) 15-0 (3:39)
Quarterfinal: Minto major decision Tyler Lillard (Indiana) 12-1 
Semifinal: Minto tech. fall Thomas Snipes (The Citadel) 15-0 (4:47)
Final: Minto vs. #18 Bubba Wilson (Nebraska) NC

174 - #6 Lenny Pinto - 2nd (3-1)
Round of 32: Bye 
Round of 16: #6 Pinto tech. fall Sammy Starr (Navy) 20-4 (6:03)
Quarterfinal: #6 Pinto tech. fall Sergio Montoya (Oregon State) 18-2 (6:57)
Semifinal: #6 Pinto major dec. #24 Myles Takats (Bucknell) 15-4
Final: #22 Danny Wask (Navy) dec. #6 Pinto 10-5

174 - LJ Araujo - 5th (4-1)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Ben Haubert (The Citadel) dec. Araujo 5-2
Cons. of 16 #2: Bye
Cons. of 8 #1: Araujo dec. Nick South (Indiana) 8-1 
Cons. of 8 #2: Araujo dec. Avery Gambrall (Oregon State) 5-1
Cons. of 4: Araujo major dec. Sergio Montoya (Oregon State) 13-1
Fifth-Place Match: Araujo major dec. #32 Sean Harman (Oregon State) 14-3 

184 - #5 Silas Allred - 1st (5-0)
Round of 32: #5 Allred pinned Mikey Bartusch (Bucknell) (3:58)
Round of 16: #5 Allred tech. fall Roy Price (The Citadel) 17-1 (5:23)
Quarterfinal: #5 Allred major dec. Jeremy Olszko (Ohio) 13-2
Semifinal: #5 Allred pinned TJ McDonnell (Oregon State) (3:32)
Final: #5 Allred major dec. #31 Daniel Williams (Navy) 8-0

197 - #26 Camden McDanel - 4th (2-1)
Round of 16: #26 McDanel tech. fall Corey Boerio (Kent State) 18-3 (6:06)
Quarterfinal: #26 McDanel dec. #29 Gabe Sollars (Indiana) 4-1
Semifinal: #9 Trenton Munoz (Oregon State) major dec. #26 McDanel 11-1
Third-Place Match: Payton Thomas over #26 McDanel MFF 

HWT - Harley Andrews - 2nd (3-1)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Andrews tech. fall Nolan Springer (Bucknell) 16-1 (5:00)
Quarterfinal: Andrews dec. William Jarrell (Amerian) 4-2 
Semifinal: Andrews dec. Brett Mower (Oregon State) 11-7
Final: #27 Jacob Bullock (Indiana) dec. Andrews 9-2