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Two weeks ago, Iowa State coach Kevin Jackson proclaimed Cyclone 197-pounder Jake Varner “the best wrestler in the country by far.”
No one argued after Saturday night's NCAA finals at Qwest Center Omaha.
The top-seeded Varner never trailed in a 5-2 win over No. 2 Craig Brester of Nebraska. For the senior from Bakersfield, Calif., it was his second straight national title — both over Brester, a senior from Howells, Neb.
The night's marquee matchup turned into a workmanlike win for Varner, 31-0 this season and 7-1 all time against Brester.
“Craig's a tough guy,” Varner said. “We've wrestled a lot. I guess that's why not a lot happens. We know each other pretty well.”
After a scoreless first period, Varner scored a point with an escape early in the second period and Brester countered with a point the same way early in the third.
With 55 seconds to go, Varner went ahead 3-1 with a takedown. Brester escaped with 40 seconds to close to 3-2.
Inside 25 seconds, Brester fired in for a potential takedown, a move that was close enough to success to draw an “o-o-o-o-h” from the sellout crowd. But Varner held him off and produced an insurance takedown with eight seconds to go.
“I knew I needed a takedown, and that's what I went after,” Brester said. “I was going for anything. I thought I had a glimpse there. But wrestling somebody like that, you've got to be good to get a takedown.”
Varner is beyond good.
He is the 13th wrestler in NCAA history to reach the finals four times. And he'll enter the Iowa State history book on the page that includes two institutions of the sport, Dan Gable and Cael Sanderson.
“To be put in the same sentence with those guys ... they're legends in wrestling,” Varner said.
The wrestling world hasn't heard the end from Varner.
“My goal is to win these next two world championships and then win the Olympic gold medal in 2012,” he said. “That's what I'm looking forward to.”
Meanwhile, Brester's competitive wrestling career is over.
The former walk-on became a three-time All-American and two-time national runner-up, ending with a career record of 109-21.
“I definitely started on the bottom, and my goal was to end up on top,” Brester said. “I ended a step short of that. I just worked hard and busted my butt the whole time.
“Making it to the final is an accomplishment in itself. You've got to be happy with that. It sucks how it ended, but you take the good with the bad.”
Nebraska coach Mark Manning said Brester's departure will leave a crater in the Husker wrestling room.
“You miss a silent killer on your team,” Manning said. “He's real humble, and a man of few words and a lot of actions.”
Manning said this “building block of the program” will be referenced when future Huskers are challenged to get better.
“We use him already,” the coach said. “Craig is such a great competitor and class act and great student-athlete. I want guys like that on my team. He's a winner.”
NU's Dwyer finishes in fourth place
Nebraska's Stephen Dwyer was seeded fourth at the NCAA wrestling championships at 174 pounds, and fourth is where the senior from Rockton, Ill., ended up.
Dwyer, nipped 3-2 in Friday night's semifinals by top-seeded Mack Lewnes from Cornell, won his first consolation match Saturday. But he lost 10-1 in the third-place match to No. 3 seed Chris Henrich of Virginia.
“That's how close this tournament is between first and fourth,” Husker coach Mark Manning said.
Dwyer finished his career as a two-time All-American, with records of 28-5 this season and 106-35 overall.
“He's going to be a tough guy to replace, as far as his work ethic and the mentality he brought every day,” Manning said. “He's a great kid.
“I hated to see him go out on his last match like he did. He lost his composure a little bit in the third period and tried things he normally wouldn't do. But he had a great morning match.”
Dwyer is one of only 18 Nebraska wrestlers to reach 100 career victories. Manning said Dwyer will finish school next year and watch his younger brother Matt, a Husker recruit at 197 pounds.
Contact the writer:
444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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