Bucknell’s Wirnsberger: Team Has Bright Future, Talks to Takedown Wrestling

LEWISBURG – Dan Wirnsberger was surprisingly upbeat following Bucknell’s season-opening 28-9 loss to Nebraska on Thursday night.

That final score pasted on scoreboards throughout Sojka Pavilion wasn’t exactly something to smile about, but what he saw from as young a team as he’s had since his first year in Lewisburg was. He saw a lineup filled with eight wrestlers that were either freshmen or sophomores not back away from a Nebraska team competing for the first time as a member of the Big Ten.

Bucknell won three of the first five bouts last night, and had a better-than-good opportunity to win five of the first seven.

“I was extremely pleased with the overall effort,” Wirnsberger said. “There’s one or two weight classes I have some concern with, and hopefully we get those fixed. But the overall effort, for this being our first match with a young lineup, you never know what to expect.”

What the Bison got was a brilliant performance from true freshman Austin Miller to start the night at 125 pounds. The Hempfield product – who two years ago was responsible for the only loss of then Line Mountain wrestler Zain Retherford in his state championship season – battled from behind after Nebraska’s Shawn Nagel funked out of a takedown attempt and scored a takedown of his own.

But there was never any panic from Miller. Instead, he pounded on Nagel, eventually wearing out the Cornhusker. Miller took the lead with a late first-period takedown and increased the lead to 4-2 with an escape midway through the second period. And despite just the two-point lead, it never seemed like Miller was in danger, eventually winning, 4-2.

“We’re extremely excited about Austin Miller,” Wirnsberger said. “He’s a superstar in the making for our program. It’s all about effort for him and determination. It’s all about wrestling for him.”

“We’re going to rely on him,” Bucknell co-captain John Regan said. “This is the first time I’ve seen him tired this year. The kid can go 40 minutes straight of live wrestling. We’re expecting great things from him and not just in close matches with good kids. He’s going to turn heads.”

But that’s the way Regan feels about this entire Bucknell team, not just Miller. This Bison team doesn’t feature a returning All-American like Andy Rendos or Kevin LeValley of the past three years and it’s a team that not much is expected of. And not to mention, the Bison are without Corey Lear who is sitting out the first semester and will join the team in December. The team is also without Joe McMullen who has a knee injury.

Even beyond what Regan – who picked up a 6-1 win at 157 pounds last night – saw from Miller, the senior was even more excited about the overall direction of the program. He saw it even in a 2-0 loss by freshman Shawn Armato at 133 pounds. He saw it in sophomore Stephen McPeek being just a late takedown away from a win at 174. And he saw it in freshman heavyweight Joe Stolfi coming up just a takedown short of beating No. 8-ranked Tucker Lane.

And it was results like that that had Wirnsberger walking out of Sojka Pavilion pleased last night. And it was a sentiment his senior co-captain shared.

“A lot of them just don’t have college experience,” Regan said. “But we’re looking for upsets because none of us are on the radar right now.”

“This is a good measuring stick and a good gauge on what we need to do to improve,” Wirnsberger said. “I like our overall team effort. I’m not worried about wins and losses, I’m worried about effort. Wins and losses will take care of themselves.”

Regan did his part to show the way for the Bison last night with his 6-1 win over Green, who was a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school in New Jersey a year ago. Regan had a 3-1 lead in the second period and scored a huge takedown with a double leg shot for a 5-1 lead.

From there he broke Green by riding hard on top. Green couldn’t escape in his two minutes on the bottom in the third period.

125: Austin Miller, Bucknell, dec. Shawn Nagel, 4-3. 133: No. 17 Ridge Kiley, Nebraska, dec. Shawn Armato, 2-0. 141: Jake Sueflohn, Nebraska, pinned Alex Pellicciotti, 4:35. 149: Derrik Russell, Bucknell, dec. Brandon Wilbourn, 4-3. 157: John Regan, Bucknell, dec. James Green, 6-1. 165: Robert Kokesh, Nebraska, pinned Ray Schlitt, 2:01. 174: Tyler Koehn, Nebraska, dec. Stephen McPeek, 7-6. 184: No. 10 Josh Ihnen, Nebraska, dec. Jamie Westwood, 9-3. 197: James Nakashima, Nebraska, maj. dec. Tyler Lyster, 19-7. 285: No. 8 Tucker Lane, Nebraska, dec. Joe Stolfi, 5-2.

Takedowns: Nebraska 20, Bucknell 7.

Records: Nebraska (1-0); Bucknell (0-1).