LINCOLN — Nebraska wrestling coach Mark Manning liked what he saw from Robert Kokesh on the mat last weekend against Wyoming. He liked what Kokesh did off the mat just as much.
Kokesh was patting teammates on the back and cheering them on, focusing as much on the team as on his own match. For a redshirt freshman, he looked an awful lot like a veteran leader.
"A lot of guys follow him and they look up to him," Manning said. "He's a natural at it. Guys like him, and they respect him more than anything.
"He's very humble and has a workmanlike attitude. He's like our 165-pound Rex Burkhead."
He's a pretty good wrestler, too. Kokesh upset third-ranked Shane Onufer 5-0 last Saturday and is now ranked No. 5 in his weight class by InterMat. He's one of only two freshmen in the top 20.
It's no surprise to Manning that Kokesh wrestles differently from most second-year guys. The Wagner, S.D., native was one of Nebraska's best reserves last year, going 34-1 with 19 pins.
Kokesh couldn't do anything about that one loss. It came in the finals of the season-opening Harold Nichols Open, when he was scheduled to face Husker senior Jordan Burroughs.
The freshman took the forfeit at the request of his coaches, but he certainly wanted to square off against the would-be national champion.
"I did. I really did," Kokesh said. "But I can understand why the coaches didn't want us to. There would be no point, especially if one of us gets hurt."
Burroughs took Kokesh under his wing last season and still does some tutoring when he returns to Lincoln to train for the 2012 Olympics. Kokesh is off to a 13-2 start this season, but he doesn't worry much about the expectations that come with replacing a two-time NCAA champion.
"He's a different wrestler than Jordan, a different type of athlete — but also the same competitor," Manning said. "They're both tough. They don't want to give up any points, and they're going to fight you until the end."
Right now, though, Kokesh is just trying to get in as many matches as possible before Big Ten competition starts Jan. 6. The Huskers go on the road this weekend for duals at South Dakota State on Saturday night and North Dakota State on Sunday.
A much-needed break follows the road trip, but Kokesh is looking forward to getting back to the mat. He sees last weekend's upset as a jumping-off point, and he's focused on making sure it won't go down as the highlight of his season.
"I've been improving, but I'm not where I want to be by the end of the season," he said. "I want to be at the top when March comes around for nationals."
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