UNK Wrestling: #1 Lopers Score 115 Points to Easily Win 5th National Title

 The top-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team scored 115.0 points to win the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championship Saturday night in Indianapolis.

The Lopers qualified all 10 starters for the two-day meet with eight ending up as All-Americans (top eight finish). UNK basically wrapped up the team trophy with a strong second session showing Friday night and then greatly padded its point total throughout Saturday's third session.

UNK previously placed first in 2008 (108.50 points), 2012 (107.0), 2013 (108.0) and 2022 (127.0) with this being the program's 23rd consecutive top eight finish. The 52-point margin of victory is the sixth best in the meet's 53-year history with Augustana (63.0) second and St. Cloud State third (57.50).

Sixth-year team member Nick James (149 lbs.), redshirt senior Jacobi Deal (174 lbs.) and redshirt sophomore Zach Ourada (125 lbs.) each reached the finals and finished as National Runners Up. They are the 23rd, 24th and 25th Lopers to finish second at a D2 national meet with James now a two-time runner up. 

Ourada (Omaha Skutt) took on top-seed and fellow Omaha native Jakason Burks of Central Missouri in his finals match. Unfortunately, Burks recorded a takedown 12 seconds in and prevailed, 5-2. The story was the same at 174-pounds where Maryville's Cole Ritter moved ahead 3-0 by the 1:58 mark of the opening period. Deal (Durham, N.C.) had several nice attacks throughout but Ritter fought off each one to win, 5-1. Finally, James (Kearney H.S.) was seemingly poised to go into overtime against Cael Larson of Augustana. However, Larson managed a takedown and four-near fall points in the final 10 seconds to come out on top, 8-1.   

The Lopers should arrive back home between 5-6 p.m. Sunday night with a reception set for the World Theatre downtown. 

125 lbs. – 6th-seed Zachary Ourada (18-5) place is 2nd 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)
Finals – 1st-seed Jakason Burks (Central Missouri) won by decision over Zach Ourada (Dec 5-2)
 
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 – 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 – 2nd-seed Sean Solis (Mary, N.D.) won by decision over Joseph Airola (Dec 12-7)
 
149 lbs. – 4th-seed Nick James (7-1) place is 2nd 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) wins by decision over Nick James (Dec 8-1)
 
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 (22-5) place is 2nd 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.) won by decision over Jacobi Deal (Dec 5-1)
 
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 – 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 – 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 6.0 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 – 4th-seed Dorian Crosby (Gannon, Pa.) won by decision over Crew Howard (Dec 4-2)