University of Nebraska at Kearney Men's Wrestling

Alma Mater:  UNK Graduating Year: 2012 Experience:  9th Coaching Career 2016-Present: Head Coach 2015-16: Associate Head Coach 2012-15: Assistant Coach A Nebraska-Kearney graduate and a 2012 NCAA Division II National Champion, Dalton Jensen was named head coach of Loper wrestling in the summer of 2016. He previously was associate head coach and assistant coach at UNK, working under current Loper Athletic Director Marc Bauer.  "The UNK Wrestling program has seen a wealth of success for over a decade now and I'm very honored and blessed to be named the head coach of such an established and rich program. With any program there is room to improve and my staff and I will continue to build to be the most dominant program in NCAA Division II," said Jensen. "Our program has always been very process oriented and that will continue to be our main focus moving forward. Many people have contributed to this phase of my life in addition to Coach Bauer including my parents, brothers, and most importantly my wife. I'm very grateful for the love and support these people have given me to help me attain this dream job."  Under Jensen's direction, the Lopers have continued to be a National Powerhouse, having seven top eight finishes at the NCAA Division II Championships. That includes the program's fourth National Title in 2022, UNK's sixth National Runner Up effort in 2021 and a third place finish in 2024. He has also led the Lopers to five Super Region titles and two MIAA titles.  Entering the 2024-25 season with a 112-35 (.818 win pct.) dual record, including a 29-5 mark against league competition, the 4-time MIAA Coach of the Year has coached 43 All-Americans. That includes four National Champions and seven National Runners up. At the 2021 NCAA meet, UNK had a program record nine AA's, followed by eight the following March when UNK won the National Title. That point total of 127.0 set a new program record at the NCAA's.  Addtionally, Jensen and his staff have coached 33 Super Region Champs, 30 MIAA Champs/first-team selections and two MIAA Wrestlers of the Year. That duo included Matt Malcolm who was tabbed as the 2022 MIAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year. In 2024, Zach Ourada was tabbed as the NWCA Division II Rookie of the Year.  Off the mat, the program maintains well over a 3.00 cumulative grade point average with the team having multiple NWCA All-American Scholar and Academic All-MIAA qualifiers on an annual basis.   In his tenure, Jensen also saw the development and completion of the Ron & Pam Blessing Wrestling Facility, one of the premier wrestling spaces for a collegiate program.    The Missouri Valley, Ia., native began his collegiate career at Iowa State where he won 21 matches as a freshman in 2009. Competing at 141 and 149 lbs., he won the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award at Nebraska-Omaha's Glen Brand Open and also placed sixth at the Midlands Championships. In 2010 Jensen was the Cyclones starter at 141 lbs., finishing fourth at the Big 12 Championships and picking up a win at the NCAA Division I Championships. As a junior for UNK, he was a national runner up at 141 lbs., going 30-5 with a team-best 10 falls. He reached the national championship match by pinning the reigning champ in just 17 seconds. Jensen, also the RMAC/West Region winner, shared the team's Outstanding Junior Award with T.J. Hepburn. In his senior season Jensen helped the Lopers win its second team national title by winning the 141 lbs. class. Posting a 30-4 mark, he finished his career with 11 straight victories, capped by a fall at 4:18 in the national title match. For Missouri Valley High, he amassed the fourth most wins in Iowa prep history (180) with 126 of those coming by fall. A four-time state qualifier and a two-time state champ (103 & 125 lbs.), he won a gold medal in the Greco-Roman bracket and finished fourth in freestyle at the 2007 Junior National Tournament in Fargo, N.D. In 2006, he was the 125 lbs. champ at the Brute Adidas National tournament. He and his wife, Brenda (Petersen), live in Kearney with their son. Brenda is the City Manager of Kearney.  YEAR BY YEAR WITH COACH JENSEN 2023-24           18-4    (4-1)  NCAA 3rd Place; Super Region VI Champs; Five All-Americans 2022-23           11-7    (3-1)  NCAA 8th Place; Three All-Americans 2021-22           11-4    (3-1)  National Champions; Super Region VI Champs; Eight All-Americans 2020-21           10-3    (3-0)  National Runner Up; Super Region VI Champs; Nine All-Americans 2019-20           13-6    (3-1)  Super Region VI Champs; Five All-Americans; No NCAA meet due to pandemic 2018-19           12-4    (5-0)  NCAA 5th place; Super Region VI Champs; MIAA Champs; Four All-Americans 2017-18           21-1    (5-0)  NCAA 8th place; MIAA Champs; Five All-Americans 2016-17           16-6    (4-1)  NCAA 4th place; MIAA Champs; Four All-Americans TOTALS        112-35  (29-5)  

Bauer transitioned from head coach to part-time assistant coach. He is pursuing a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University and becoming an assistant professor in UNK's Kinesiology and Sport Sciences Department.  "I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the head coach of the UNK wrestling program for 17 years. During that time, this program has flourished with amazing student-athletes and coaches coming together with the common goal and expectations of winning championships. I still feel young in years, and have always been driven to further myself and my education. To me, learning never ends. I have 18 years of successful public school teaching and 21 years of successful college coaching experience. My experience combined with additional education and growth and knowledge of leadership, I feel I have even more to offer the coaches, student-athletes, and the KSS department at UNK," said Bauer.  He continued, "I don't look at what I am doing as stepping away. I see this as an amazing opportunity for me to give back more. I will still play an important role in the UNK wrestling coaching staff, I just won't be putting in all the long hours associated with managing, marketing, and promoting the program. By reversing roles within our staff, I will have more needed time to study, teach, and direct more energy into doing the very best that I am capable of doing." Since being named the Lopers head coach prior to the 1999-00 season, Bauer and his coaching staff led UNK to three national championships, five national runner-up finishes and 14 conference/regional titles. During the regular season the Lopers have posted a 218-81 record in duals, including wins over Division I members Northwestern, Portland State, Bloomsburg (Pa.), George Mason (Va.) and Wyoming.   Under Bauers tutelage, 89 of his wrestlers have earned All-American honors, including 22 national champions and 15 national runners up. He has also saw one of his wrestlers compete at many major national and international events. In the summer of 2012, former heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev placed fifth in the 120 kg  category at the London Summer Games. He'll again represent the U.S. in the 2016 Rio Summer Games.  Dlagnev, UNK's all-time leader in wins (167), has also competed at several World Championships and won numerous international tournaments since graduating. Bauers wrestlers succeeded off the mat as well. He had 136 of his wrestlers selected to the Wrestling Coaches Association National All-Academic team. The Lopers also boasted one of the highest team G.P.A.s on an annual basis.   Throughout his 17 years, Bauer has been named the RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) Coach of the Year seven times and the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year twice. In addition, the Amateur Wrestling News named him the National Rookie Coach of the year in 2000. And, in 2006 he was selected to coach at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic in Dallas, Texas.   Bauers first season saw UNK win its first-ever RMAC/West Regional title, an event held at the Health & Sports Center. At the nationals, the Lopers finished eighth, its second best showing since becoming a member in 1991.   Over the next two years, six of Bauers wrestlers were named All-Americans. In 2002, the Lopers repeated as RMAC Champs and finished in the top 10 nationally.   The 2003 season was a banner year. Along with capturing another RMAC title, the Lopers finished the season as national runners-up. Throughout the season, record crowds packed the Health & Sports Center and Cushing Fieldhouse to watch the top-ranked Lopers in duals.  Among the six All-Americans were national champion Frank Kuchera (174 lbs.) and national runner-up Brandon Pfizenmaier (149 lbs.).   In 2004, Jeff Sylvester became the fourth Loper to win a national title (197 lbs.) and Bryce Abbey earned All-American honors for the third time. With the help of another All-American in Adam Keiswetter, the Lopers finished in the top 10 at the NCAA's for the third consecutive year. Bauers squad also recorded the nation's highest GPA (3.52); that mark was the highest recorded in the history of the award.   In 2005, Bauer saw the emergence of the most decorated wrestler in UNK history, Dlagnev. On his way to winning the first of his four RMAC titles, Dlagnev was named the RMAC Freshman of the Year.   The 2006 and 2007 seasons ended with the Lopers finishing as national runner-up. Over these two years, Bauer coached 14 All-Americans, four national champs and one national runner-up. At the 2006 NCAA's in Ohio, Brett Allgood (133 lbs.) and Tanner Linsacum (184 lbs.) won national titles. Dlagnev improved on his sixth place finish as he came in second while Sylvester capped his career off as a four-time All-American.   Dlagnev went 49-1 while winning the prestigious Midlands Championship in December. After capturing an individual national championship in March 2007, he placed fourth at the U.S. National Wrestling Championships in April.   On March 15, 2008, Bauer and the Lopers reached the pinnacle, capturing the National Championship in Cedar Rapids, Ia, winning by half of a point over Minnesota State. The title marked UNKs first-ever national championship in any sport at the Division II level. Dlagnev was named the first-ever Division II Wrestler of the Year as his 167th win -- a new school-mark -- sealed the national championship as well as earning him his second straight first place finish. Allgood joined Dlagnev as the only wrestlers in UNK history at the time to win two national titles at the Division II level. Bauer, who had six others earn All-American honors, was named the RMAC Coach of the Year for a fourth time and the Division II Coach of the Year for a second time.   UNK won 18 duals in each of the next two years to set new school marks. Helping the Lopers have back-to-back top-five finishes at the NCAA's was Kamarudeen "Marty" Usman. Usman was named the 2010 RMAC Wrestler of the Year and captured the national championship at 174 lbs. while finishing his career as a three-time All-American. In 2011, the Lopers recorded their 10th consecutive top 10 finish at the NCAA's while seeing four wrestlers earn All-American honors. Junior T.J. Hepburn was one of those as he finished as national runner up at 149 lbs. and was tabbed as the RMAC's top wrestler. Once again, UNK hosted the NCAA meet in the Health & Sports Center. Like four years earlier, record crowds packed the arena for the two-day meet.   In 2012, the Lopers won their second national title. After winning 17 of their first 20 matches in Pueblo, Colo., UNK held off St. Cloud State to win by 12 points. The Lopers had an unprecedented three individual national champions in Hepburn (157 lbs.), Dalton Jensen (141 lbs.) and Raufeon Stots (149 lbs.). Hepburn also repeated as RMAC Wrestler of the Year.   At the 2013 NCAA's in Birmingham, Ala., the Lopers repeated as national champions, tallying 108 team points to slip past St. Cloud once again. Leading the list of seven All-Americans were two national champions in Stots (149 lbs.) and Daniel DeShazer (133 lbs.) and national runners up Chase Nelson (165 lbs.) and Romero Cotton (197 lbs.). UNK also won the MIAA Championship, the first year the conference sponsored the sport in several decades, as well as the region title. Cotton came back to win national titles in 2014, 2015 and 2016 with DeShazer first (2015) and second (2014). UNK won three more league and regional titles while placing second at the NCAA's in 2014 and 2015. Prior to being head coach, Bauer spent four years as a UNK assistant under Jeff Cardwell. Bauer was also the head wrestling coach at Horizon Middle School in Kearney and remains a physical education teacher for Kearney Public Schools.   A Kearney native, Bauer graduated from Nebraska-Omaha in 1993 where he was a three-time All-American. He won a conference championship and was a member of the 1991 national championship team. Off of the mat Bauer was a three-time academic All-American. He received his masters degree from UNK in 1999 in physical education and is currently working towards a Doctorate.   Bauer and his wife, Beth, live in Kearney with their four children: Ryan, Scott, Allison, and Julia. Ryan was a Loper wrestler between 2012-16.    While the Lopers were ranked number one nationally for most of 2007, they finished as national runner-up as Central Oklahoma took the national title in Kearney.

Andrew Sorenson joined the Nebraska-Kearney wrestling program in August 2016 and serves as head assistant coach. He is involved in all aspects of the program including strength and conditioning.  "Andrew brings a passion and drive to help young athletes succeed. He will be an unmeasurable asset to not only the development of our men but to the recruiting of potential student-athletes with his endless connections," said UNK head coach Dalton Jensen.  Since joining the staff, UNK has had 43 All-Americans, four national champions, seven national runners up and two MIAA Wrestlers of the Year. The program has had seven top eight finishes at the NCAA Championships including a National Title in 2022, a National Runner Up finish in 2021 and a third place effort in 2024.  Off the mat, the Lopers now train and compete in the Pam & Ron Blessing Wrestling Facility, completed during the 2022-23 season.  During the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Sorenson was an assistant coach at Division I South Dakota State, working primarily with the Jackrabbits 149-174 pounders. Over two seasons Sorenson helped SDSU win 11 duals and qualify four individuals for the NCAA Championships. In his time in Brookings he also was involved with recruiting, alumni relations and fundraising. Prior to SDSU, he was a member of the Panther Wrestling Club in Cedar Falls, Ia., competing in freestyle tournaments around the country and overseas. Sorenson was a two-time national qualifier for Iowa State, finishing with a 93-31 career record. He also was a two-time Big 12 Conference place winner, taking third in 2010 (157 lbs.) and second in 2012 (165 lbs.). During his time in Ames, he and Jensen were teammates.  A team captain and winner of numerous awards on the mat and in the classroom, Sorenson also spent time as a volunteer strength and conditioning coach after graduation, working with various Cyclone squads.   Sorenson graduated from ISU with a degree in Kinesiology-Health Fitness Management and a Master's in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. The native of Woden, Ia., won a 152 lbs. state title for Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka High. Going 155-10 in his prep career, he also placed at the state meet as a freshman and junior.