matchred/whitebig 12 C1ham - Oct rankingpionshiober 27, pmatchs 2006 - thursday, nov. 2, 2006 soonersooner wrest WRESTsoonerlLIingNG match match notesnotes

Mitch Heckart, Media Relations Contact University of 180 W. Brooks Suite 2525, Norman, OK 73019 WRESTLING O: (405) 325-8349 | C: (405) 863-0515 | F: (405) 325-7623 14-5 Overall,1-4 Big 12 [email protected] | www.SoonerSports.com IN THE POLLS 14 N.W.C.A. 17 W.I.N. NO. 14 AIM FOR THIRD BIG 12 2007-2008 SCHEDULE CONFERENCE TITLE, 24TH OVERALL DATE OPPONENT TIME SCORE 11/4 Missouri Valley/OCU/ ALL DAY W, 47-0 14 Neosho CC 44-0/50-3 11/10 at SUNY-Brockport Classic ALL DAY 1st Place

11/15 North Carolina State 7 p.m. W, 30-9

11/24 Oklahoma Open# ALL DAY

12/2 at Oklahoma State 2 p.m. L, 9-21 12/7 at Central Oklahoma 7 p.m. W, 27-6

1/5 at Lone Star Duals ALL DAY W, 28-6 (Navy/Cal-State/N. Carolina) 27-6, 27-6 1/12 MICHIGAN STATE/PITTSBURGH 2 p.m. W, 29-7, 17-15 1/18 TENN.-CHATTANOOGA 7 p.m. W, 21-13

1/20 WISCONSIN $ 6 p.m. L, 15-18 1/25 IOWA STATE 7 p.m. L, 3-31 PROBABLE STARTERS 2/1 ARIZONA STATE 7 p.m. W, 31-9 Setting the scene oklahoma 125 - Joey Fio 2/8 at Missouri 7 p.m. L, 10-23 133 - Brian Shelton 2/10 at Nebraska 2 p.m. L, 9-21 Today’s Schedule: Sooners 2/15 CAL POLY** 7 p.m. W, 32-9 Ranked No. 14 141 - Zack Bailey 2/21 OKLAHOMA STATE 7 p.m. W, 18-15 Championship action lasts all day (14-5, 1-4 Big 12) 149 - Will Rowe 157 - Chad Terry Date: Saturday, March 8, 2008 165 - Max Dean 3/8 Big 12 Championships ALL DAY Location: Stillwater, Okla. 174 - Pat Flynn (Stillwater, Okla.) Venue: Gallagher-Iba Arena 184 - Joshua Weitzel 3/20-22 NCAA Championships ALL DAY TV: Fox Sports Net 197 - Joel Flaggert (St. Louis, .) Hwt. - Nathan Fernandez

PINNING IT DOWN KEY

All CAPS indicate home matches NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 14 Oklahoma will compete for its third Big 12 wrestling title this Saturday, March 8, at the Big 12 Cham- # pionships in Stillwater, Okla. * Ford Center- ** Lloyd Noble Center, Beauty and the Beast Action begins at 11 a.m., inside Gallagher-Iba Arena , with finals getting underway at 7 p.m. $ Ford Center, Oklahoma City The Sooners (14-5 overall, 1-4 in the Big 12) enter the postseason riding a two-match winning streak. OU defeated Cal Poly on OKLAHOMA QUICK FACTS Feb. 15, by a 32-9 final and most recently knocked off in-state rival and then-No. 3 Oklahoma State on Feb. 21 (18-15).

LOCATION: Norman, Okla. Live video coverage of the championships will be available at www.big12sports.com. Finals will be provided courtesy of FSN, FOUNDED: 1890 which will also be showing the event in its entirety on a tape delay basis at 1 p.m., Friday, March 14 and 1:30 a.m., Saturday, March 15. ENROLLMENT: 30,000 NICKNAME: Sooners Oklahoma has claimed at least one individual title in 10 of the past 11 Big 12 Championships (no titles in 2005). Last season, COLORS: Crimson and Cream departed seniors Sam Hazewinel (125 pounds) and Matt Storniolo (149 pounds) claimed individual crowns for OU. HOME VENUE: Howard McCasland Fieldhouse CAPACITY: 3,341 The Sooners return three wrestlers in this year’s lineup who also advanced to nationals from last year’s championships. Flaggert placed third to advance and Rowe and Weitzel were selected as wild-cards. CONFERENCE: Big 12 PRESIDENT: David L. Boren After the Big 12 Championships, qualified Sooners will return home to prepare for the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Joe Castiglione beginning March 20.

OKLAHOMA WRESTLING -- HOME OF SEVEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS big 12 Championships sooner wrestling match notes NWCA/InterMat Coaches Poll BEDLAM UPSET REVISITED Seniors Joshua Weitzel at 184 pounds and Joel Flaggert at Team The dual between the in-state rivals began at 184 pounds 197 pounds lead the way for Oklahoma at No. 6 and No. 9, 1. Iowa after Oklahoma State decided to draw instead of the tradi- respectively. 2. Central Michigan tional start at 125 pounds. 3. Iowa State * Freshman Joey Fio is enjoying his highest ranking of the 4. Nebraska * The opening bout could not have started better for the season at No. 15 among 125-pounders and 141 pound Zack 5. Oklahoma State * Sooners, as No. 6 Joshua Weitzel put six on the board with a Bailey is No. 16. Will Rowe and Chad Terry are No. 17 at 149 6. Penn State pin over Jack Jensen. The senior needed only the first period and 157 pounds, respectively. 7. Wisconsin * to record the fall at 2:18. 8. Minnesota 9. Ohio State Joel Flaggert followed up the pin with a 9-6 decision over BIG 12 TIDBITS 10. Clayton Foster to put the Sooners up 9-0. After heavyweight •The Sooners won the conference crown in 1999 and again 11. Michigan in 2002, both under current head coach Jack Spates. 12. Missouri * Fernandez was defeated, freshman No. 17 Joey Fio pulled an 13. Northwestern upset at 125 pounds, defeating No. 14 Tyler Shinn by a 3-2 •OU has claimed 23 conference titles in 77 years of wres- 14. Oklahoma decision. 15. Edinboro tling, which is second to Oklahoma State’s 32. 16. Cornell Back-to-back OSU wins made the team score 12-9, but OU 17. Hofstra bounced back and picked up two victories by Will Rowe •Oklahoma has claimed 171 individual conference titles in 18. UT-Chattanooga* (149 pounds) and Chad Terry (157 pounds). After the pair of the program’s history. The crowns have come in four differ- 19. Old Dominion Sooners wins, the score was 18-9 in favor of OU. With two ent conferences (Big Six, Big Seven, Big Eight and Big 12). 20. Indiana matches to go, Oklahoma simply needed to hold on for its 21. Kent State first Bedlam win in over a decade. •Iowa State won its first Big 12 crown last season with 66.5 22. Maryland team points. Missouri was second with 61.5 points and 23. Pittsburgh* Max Dean at 165 pounds was taken down by a 7-3 decision Oklahoma State was third with 61 points. Nebraska (46 24. Cal-State Fullerton* and no bonus points were awarded, meaning OSU would points) and Oklahoma (44 points) were fourth and fifth, 25. Penn need a pin at 174 pounds to tie. Season-long starter Jeff respectively. NOTE: * Indicates 2007-08 OU opponents James tore his posterior cruciate ligament against Cal Poly in the previous match, so OU’s fate rested on the shoulders WINNING STREAK of junior Chris DeVilbiss to hold off the Cowboy rally. OU heads into the postseason riding a two-match winning W.I.N Magazine Poll streak. The Sooners defeated Cal Poly on Feb. 15 (32-9) Team 1. Iowa DeVilbiss, wrestling in his first dual of the season, was only and most recently knocked off in-state rival OSU on Feb. 21 2. Central Michigan defeated 7-0 by No. 8 Brandon Mason, giving the Sooners (18-15) 3. Nebraska the 18-15 upset. 4. Oklahoma State BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS ON TV Live video coverage of the championships will be available 5. Minnesota The win snapped a 19 match winning streak by the Cow- at www.big12sports.com. Finals will be provided courtesy 6. Iowa State boys, and was the first Sooner victory since Nov. 28, 1995. 7. Ohio State of FSN, which will also be showing the event in its entirety 8. Illinois on a tape delay basis at 1 p.m., Friday, March 14 and 1:30 Rundown on the rankings a.m., Saturday, March 15. 9. Penn State The Sooners head into postseason competition boasting six 10. Wisconsin wrestlers ranked among the nation’s best. 11. Northwestern 13. Missouri 14. Cornell 15. Hofstra PROBABLE OKLAHOMA STARTERS 16. Edinboro 17. Oklahoma Wt. name yr. hometown H highschooL record 18. Indiana 125 Joey Fio (No. 15) Fr. Sandpoint, Idaho Sandpoint HS 18-7 19. Old Dominion 133 Brian Shelton So. El Reno, Okla. Providence Catholic HS 7-5 20. Boise State 141 Zack Bailey (No. 16) RFr. kansas City, Mo. Oak Park HS 25-10 21. Kent State 149 Will Rowe (No. 17) Jr. Arlington, Texas Lamar HS 21-6 22. UT-Chattanooga 157 Chad Terry (No. 17) So. Midwest City, Okla. Carl Albert HS 18-5 23. Pittsburgh 165 Max Dean Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio Lakota West HS 18-7 24. Penn 174 Pat Flynn RFr. Quakertown, Pa. Quakertown HS 5-4 25. Maryland 184 Joshua Weitzel (No. 6) Sr. Lincoln University, Pa. Oxford HS 23-2 197 Joel Flaggert (No. 9) Sr. Choctaw, Okla. Choctaw HS 21-3 HWT. Nathan Fernandez RFr. Lawton, Okla. MacArthur HS 14-11

Head Coach: Jack Spates (15th Season, 198-88-11) Assistant Coaches: Robbie Waller and Jeremy Spates

OKLAHOMA WRESTLING -- HOME OF SEVEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS big 12 Championships sooner wrestling match notes

TEAM NOTES SOONERS HONORED BY big 12 •Oklahoma was 1-4 in Big 12 duals this season and averaged 9.8 points per match. Two Sooners were named Big 12 Wrestlers of the Week in the final three weeks of OU gave up 22.2 points to conference opponents. the season.

•On the way to its best record in four seasons, Oklahoma topped four opponents True freshman Joey Fio was selected for the award on Feb. 11, after picking up two ranked in the Top 25 at the end the regular season (No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 18 UT-Chattanooga, No. 23 Pittsburgh and No. 24 Cal-State Fullerton). The Sooners Big 12 wins the previous weekend. Fio posted an 11-2 major decision over John also topped then-No. 21 Navy on Jan. 5. Olanowski of No. 12 ranked Missouri, which gave him his 10th dual win this season. •As a team, the Sooners took down 14 individual ranked opponents on the season. He followed the win up with a stunning upset victory in Lincoln, Neb., on Feb. 10, by Fio, Weitzel and Flaggert tied for the most with three victories each. Fio’s upset of defeating Paul Donahoe of the No. 2 ranked Huskers. After being down 4-3 to begin No. 4 Paul Donahoe of Nebraska was the highest ranked opponent taken down by the third period, the Sandpoint, Idaho, native scored a takedown and an escape to a Sooner. win by decision, 6-5.

•OU shutout two opponents on the year in Oklahoma City (44-0) and Missouri Val- On Feb. 25, senior Joshua Weitzel was chosen for the weekly Big 12 award. Minutes ley (47-0). The two dominant wins opened the season for the Sooners on Nov. 4. after being honored on senior night, No. 6 Weitzel’s pin versus No. 3 Oklahoma State •The Sooners posted 40-plus point victories three times this season. Eight wins proved to be the deciding factor in the 18-15 upset win last Thursday, Feb. 21, in came by 20 or more points, and three by less than 10 points. Norman. •In the 14 wins this season, Oklahoma outscored foes 428-98. Broken down, OU The in-state matchup began at 184 pounds after Oklahoma State chose to draw averaged 30.6 points in the wins to the opponents seven. The average margin of instead of starting at the traditional 125 pounds. Weitzel took full advantage by defeat in the five losses this season was 13.6 points. pinning Jack Jensen in the first period (2:18). The fall was his sixth overall this season, the most by any OU starter. LAST YEAR’s CHAMPIONSHIPS Last season, Oklahoma produced two individual champions. Seniors CONSISTENT SUCCESS (125 pounds) and Matt Storniolo (149 pounds) became the first pair of Sooners to Oklahoma has racked up 14 wins this season, its most since garnering the same collect multiples titles in the same season since 2004 (Hazewinkel and Leonce Crump). amount during the 2004-05 season.

Storniolo claimed his first ever Big 12 championship with his shutout of Cyler Sand- That year, the Sooners went on to place 9th at the NCAA Championships. It also erson of Iowa State. He took to individual title after finishing runner-up the previous marks the 13th straight season Oklahoma has picked up 10 or more overall wins. two years. FAREWELL SENIORS Other Sooners to receive medals were Kyle Terry and Joel Flaggert. Flaggert Three Sooners in the starting lineup were honored versus Oklahoma State on Feb. responded to a loss in the semifinals by winning two straight matches to claim third 21, on senior night. place at 197 pounds. The third place finish put him in the NCAA Championships for the third straight year. Max Dean (165 pounds), Joshua Weitzel (184 pounds) and Joel Flaggert (197 Will Rowe (157 pounds) and Joshua Weitzel (174 pounds) qualified for the NCAA pounds) are all participating in their last collegiate postseasons. Championships as wild card qualifiers, selected by a vote from league coaches. Flaggert is the only wrestler of the three to start and finish his career at OU. Weitzel BEATING THE NATION’s BEST (Michigan) and Dean (Indiana) both transferred to Oklahoma. Blake Allen and Brad Seven Sooners beat ranked opponents this season for a total of 14 wins. Farmer also were recognized as departing Sooners. •JOEY FIO (125 Pounds): Defeated No. 9 Javier Maldonado (UTC), No. 4 Paul Donahoe (NU) and No. 14 Tyler Shinn (OSU). SOONER CAPTAINS Serving as captains for the Sooners this season are senior Joshua Weitzel and junior •BRIAN SHELTON (133 Pounds): Defeated No. 16 TJ Dillashaw (CSF) Will Rowe. The captains are voted on and selected by their teammates prior to the season. •JOHN STARZYK (133 pounds): Defeated No. 19 Steve Hromoado (UTC) WEITZEL HONORED....AGAIN •WILL ROWE (149 Pounds): Defeated No. 10 Darrion Caldwell (NCST) and No. 11 Senior Joshua Weitzel was announced as a first-team selection on the 2008 Aca- Morgan Atkinson (CSF) demic All-Big 12 Wrestling Team, the announced Tuesday.

•CHAD TERRY (157 Pounds): Defeated No. 20 Seth Garvin (UTC) This marks the second straight year Weitzel has been honored as a first-team selection. The Lincoln University, Pa., native is one of two wrestlers in the confer- •JOSHUA WEITZEL(184 Pounds): Defeated No. 14 Ian Murphy (Cal-St), No. 14 Trevor ence who boasts a 4.0 GPA (Tyler McCormick of Missouri). Weitzel graduated in Brandvold (UW) and No. 14 Brent Chriswell (ASU) December with a B.S. in Education. •JOEL FLAGGERT (197 Pounds): Defeated No. 18 Joe Williams (MSU), No. 14 Matt FLYNN IN Koz (UTC) and No. 20 David Bertolino (ISU) Redshirt freshman Pat Flynn is making his first appearance against Big 12 foes the Sooners at 174 pounds. The Lehigh transfer is 5-4 on the year and 1-0 in duals. SPATES MILESTONE Flynn, a three-time Pennsylvania state champion, is wrestling his first matches at Jack Spates is inching towards a career milestone as he concludes his 15th season as 174 pounds (previously wrestled at 184 and 197 pounds). the Oklahoma head coach. With a record of 198-88-11, Spates is two wins shy of 200 victories as the Sooner leader. MARCH 8, 2008 big 12 Championships sooner wrestling match notes OU Starters

JOEY FIO (125) BRIAN SHELTON (133) ZACK BAILEY (141) WILL ROWE (149) CHAD TERRY (157)

MAX DEAN (165) PAT FLYNN (174) JOSHUA WEITZEL (184) JOEL FLAGGERT (197) NATHAN FERNANDEZ (HWT) BIG 12 LINEUPS NO. 3 IOWA STATE PROBABLE STARTERS

Wt. name yr. hometown R record (OVERALL/DUAL) 125 Tyler Clark (No. 14) Fr. Davenport, Iowa 13-7 17-8/7-5 133 Nick Fanthorpe (No. 7) So. Naperviller, Ill. 21-3 26-4/17-3 141 Nick Gallick (No. 12) So. Tucson, Ariz. 15-10 20-11/12-8 149 Mitch Mueller So. Iowa City, Iowa 16-8 20-10/12-7 157 Cyler Sanderson (No. 13) So. Heber City, Utah 21-3 26-4/16-3 165 Jon Reader (No. 8) RFr. Davidson, Mich. 22-2 24-6/15-5 174 Aron Scott Sr. Oskaloosa, Iowa 6-8 10-10/9-8 184 (No. 1) So. Bakersfield, Calif. 17-0 23-0/17-0 197 David Bertolino (No. 16) Sr. Mount Pleasant, Ohio 16-8 20-10/12-8 285 David Zabriskie (No. 5) So. Branchville, N.J. 18-4 24-4/16-3

Head Coach: Cael Sanderson Assistant Coaches: Cody Sanderson and Tim Harthung

OKLAHOMA WRESTLING -- HOME OF SEVEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS big 12 Championships sooner wrestling match notes

No. 4 Nebraska probable starters

Wt. name yr. hometown R record 125 Paul Danahoe (No. 4) Jr. Davison, Mich. 18-3/12-3 133 kenny Jordan (No. 10) So. Frankfort, Ill. 13-6/5-6 141 Mike Rowe (No. 12) So. Huntington, Md. 8-5/3-5 149 (No. 7) So. Sicklerville, N.J. 27-5/14-3 157 Chris Oliver Jr. Omaha, Neb. 15-9/6-8 165 Stephen Dwyer So. South Beloit, Ill. 28-6/12-3 174 Brandon Browne (No. 5) Jr. Plattsmouth, Neb. 29-2/14-1 184 Vince Jones (No. 13) Jr. Sicklerville, N.J. 21-11/9-6 197 Craig Brester (No. 8) So. Howells, Neb. 20-4/12-4 HWT. Jon May (No. 14) Sr. Hutchinson, Minn. 18-9/12-5

Head Coach: Mark Manning Assistant Coaches: Mike Greenfield and Tony Ersland

NO. 5 OKLAHOMA STATE PROBABLE STARTERS

Wt. name yr. hometown R record 125 Tyler Shinn (No. 16) RSo Newkirk, Okla. 14-5 133 Coleman Scott (No. 1) Sr. Waynesburg, Pa. 27-3 141 Nathan Morgan (No. 3) Sr. Bakersfield, Calif. 28-2 149 Ryan Freeman RSr. Springfield, Mo. 15-7 157 Newly McSpadden (No. 20) RJr. Vinita, Okla. 19-8 165 Jake Dieffenbach (No. 5) Sr. House Springs, Mo. 18-3 174 Brandon Mason (No. 8) RJr. Shenandoah, Iowa 25-4 184 Jack Jensen Sr. Sheboygan, Wis. 11-5 197 Clayton Foster Fr. kamiah, Idaho 22-9 HWT Jared Rosholt (No. 7) RSo. Sandpoint, Idaho; 27-3

Head Coach: John Smith Assistant Coaches: Mark Branch and

No. 12 MISSOURI probable starters

Wt. name yr. hometown R record (OVERALL/BIG 12) 125 John Olanowski So. Virginia Beach, Va. 8-11/0-4 133 Tyler McCormick (No. 20) Sr. Leawood, Kan. 4-7/1-2 141 Marcus Hoehn Jr. Farmington, Mo. 13-12/0-4 149 Josh Wagner (No. 14) Sr. Milton, Wis. 19-8/3-1 157 Michael Chandler (No. 12) Jr. High Ridge, Mo. 22-3/4-0 165 Nicholas Marable (No. 2) So. Collierville, Tenn. 20-3/4-0 174 Brock Wittmeyer Sr. Platte City, Mo. 1-6/0-3 184 Raymond Jordan (No. 5) Jr. New Bern, N.C. 21-2/3-1 197 Maxwell Askren (No. 7) So. Hartland, Wis. 20-2/4-0 HWT Mark Ellis (No. 11) So. Peculiar, Mo. 16-9/1-3

Head Coach: Brian Smith Assistant Coaches: Shawn Charles and Lee Pritts

MARCH 8, 2008 big 12 Championships sooner wrestling match notes BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP SEEDINGS

Each weight class is listed one-seed through five-seed, with the number of votes garnered next to each wrestler’s name. For example, if it is listed as No. 3 Joshua Weitzel, OU (5), it means all five coaches voted for Weitzel to be the third seed in his weight class.

Seedings (Votes Received) 125 pounds 165 pounds 1. Paul Donahoe, NEB (3 first/2 second) 1. Nick Marable, MIZZ (5) 2. Joey Fio, OU (2 first/3 second) 2. Jake Dieffenbach, OSU (5) 3. Tyler Shinn, OSU (5) 3. Stephen Dwyer, NEB (5) 4. Tyler Clark, ISU (5) 4. Jon Reader, ISU (5) 5. John Olanowski, MIZZ (5) 5. Max Dean, OU (5)

133 pounds 174 pounds 1. Coleman Scott, OSU (5) 1. Brandon Browne, NEB (5) 2. Nick Fanthorpe, ISU (5) 2. Brandon Mason, OSU (5) 3. Kenny Jordan, NEB (5) 3. Aron Scott, ISU (5) 4. Tyler McCormick, MIZZ (5) 4. Flynn, OU (3 fourth/2 fifth) 5. Brian Shelton, OU (5) 5. Wittmeyer/Williamson, MIZZ (3 fifth/2 fourth)

141 pounds 184 pounds 1. Nathan Morgan, OSU (5) 1. Jake Varner, ISU (5) 2. Nick Gallick, ISU (5) 2. Raymond Jordan, MIZZ (5) 3. Mike Rowe, NEB (5) 3. Joshua Weitzel, OU (5) 4. Zack Bailey, OU (5) 4. Vince Jones, NEB (5) 5. Marcus Hoehn, MU (5) 5. Jack Jensen, OSU (5)

149 pounds 197 pounds 1. Jordan Burroughs, NEB (5) 1. Max Askren, MIZZ (5) 2. Josh Wagner, MIZZ (5) 2. Joel Flaggert, OU (2 second/2 third/1 fourth) 3. Mitch Mueller, ISU (5) 3. Craig Brester, NEB (2 second/2 third/1 fourth) 4. Will Rowe, OU (5) 4. David Bertolino, ISU (3 fourth/1 third/1 second) 5. Ryan Freeman, OSU (5) 5. Clayton Foster, OSU (5)

157 pounds 285 pounds 1. Michael Chandler, MIZZ (5) 1. David Zabriskie, ISU (5) 2. Cyler Sanderson, ISU (5) 2. Jared Rosholt, OSU (5) 3. Chad Terry, OU (4 third/1 fourth) 3. Jon May, NEB (5) 4. Chris Oliver, NEB (3 fourth/2 fifth) 4. Mark Ellis, MIZZ (5) 5. Newly McSpadden, OSU (3 fifth/1 fourth/1 third) 5. Nathan Fernandez, OU (5)

OKLAHOMA WRESTLING -- HOME OF SEVEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS big 12 Championships sooner wrestling match notes

CONFERENCE RANKINGS OU TOP 10 TAKEDOWN LEADERS IN DUALS INDIVIDUAL FALL LEADERS IN DUALS WRESTLER (WEIGHT) takedowns WRESTLER (WEIGHT) FALLS SCHOOL INTERMAT Will Rowe (149) 53 Will Rowe (147) 3 IOWA STATE (3-1)...... No. 3 Joel Flaggert (197) 52 Joshua Weitzel (184) 3 Joey Fio (125) 49 Max Dean (165) 2 NEBRASKA (3-1)...... No. 4 Max Dean (165) 34 Joel Flaggert (197) 2 OKLAHOMA STATE (2-2-1)...... No. 5 Jeff James (174) 26 Nathan Fernandez (HWT) 2 MISSOURI (1-2-1)...... No. 12 Chad Terry (157) 24 Chad Terry (157) 1 Zack Bailey (141) 22 Johnny Starzyk (133) 1 OKLAHOMA (1-4)...... No. 14 Joshua Weitzel (184) 18 Nathan Fernandez (HWT) 16 Brian Shelton (133) 11 KNOW THE SCORING SYSTEM? INDIVIDUAL SCORING OKLAHOMA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS OKLAHOMA TELEVISION EXPOSURE OU appeared on television three times during this year’s regu- Takedown 2 Points lar dual season. Both matches versus Oklahoma State were Escape 1 Point InterMat WIN televised to the state of Oklahoma by Cox, and the dual against Reversal 2 Points Joey Fio...... 15...... 19 Wisconsin was shown to a national audience by ESPNU. Near Fall 2, 3 or 4 Points Riding Time 1 Point Zack Bailey...... 16...... 19 First Offense Warning Will Rowe...... 17...... 13 MARK YOUR CALENDARS Second Offense 1 Point Third Offense 1 Point Chad Terry...... 17...... 17 March 20-22: NCAA Division I National Championships Fourth Offense 2 Points in St. Louis, Mo. Max Dean...... -...... 18 Fifth Offense Disqualification Joshua Weitzel...... 6...... 6 Joel Flaggert...... 9...... 8 JAMES OUT TEAM SCORING Redshirt freshman Jeff James is out for the rest of the season after tearing his posterior cruciate ligament in the final Fall 6 Points seconds of his match versus Cal Poly on Feb. 15. Default, DQ or Forfeit 6 Points Technical Fall (no nearfall) 4 Points Major Decision 4 Points Decision 3 Points

SOONERS IN THE CLASSROOM The Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll was recently released for the fall of 2007, and a total of 17wrestlers made the list. NAME (Major) Blake Allen, Human Relations Jake Jackson, General Management Austin Spires, Geology Max Dean, Business Administration Eric Lapotsky, Sociology kyle Terry, Health & ES Trey Blakely, General Management *Steve Nijoka, Chemical Engineering Seth Vernon, University College Brad Farmer, Human Relations Will Rowe, Communication *Joshua Weitzel, Social Studies Joey Fio, University College Matt Sansone, General Management Young, A&S Undecided Joel Flaggert, Human Relations Ryan Smith, University College * Denotes 4.0 Student Athletes

MARCH 8, 2008 big 12 Championships sooner wrestling match notes HEAD COACH JACK SPATES

SPATES YEAR-BY-YEAR AT OKLAHOMA Overall Conf. Year W L T W L T NCAA FINISH 1993-94 5 5 0 1 4 0 Eighth 1994-95 7 7 2 1 3 1 Seventh 1995-96 15 4 0 4 1 0 17th 3SPATES MILESTONE 1996-97 11 8 1 1 4 0 Seventh Head coach Jack Spates’ win total at 1997-98 16 5 0 3 3 0 15th Oklahoma stands at 198-88-11. The Sooner 1998-99 18 5 1 2 4 1 Sixth coach, now in his 15th season in Norman, is 1999-00 17 4 1 3 3 1 Fourth two wins shy of 200 victories. 2000-01 18 5 1 2 4 0 Fourth 2001-02 19 5 0 4 2 0 Third 2002-03 11 7 2 2 5 0 Third 2003-04 14 8 0 0 6 0 Ninth 2004-05 11 7 2 1 4 0 Third 2005-06 11 6 1 1 4 0 Third 2006-07 11 7 0 0 5 0 22nd 2007-08 14 5 0 0 4 0 Total 198 88 11

Jack Spates has seen and done it all in his 15 seasons as Oklahoma’s head coach.

Spates has been recognized with numerous coaching awards including three Big 12 Coach of the Year awards and 2006 National Coach of the Year. He has coached two Big 12 conference team titles, 49 All-Americans and six national champions. He has also led 25 Oklahoma wrestlers to individual Big 12 titles.

Most impressively, Coach Spates and the Sooners have accepted six team trophies at the NCAA Tournament in the past 10 seasons.

When Spates became the ’s 12th head wrestling coach in 1993, he inherited a proud, but struggling program. OU’s average finish at the NCAA Championships was 23rd in the three years prior to Spates’ arrival. His Sooner teams have placed in the nation’s top four in six of the past eight seasons, including third-place finishes in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006.

Spates’ teams have also won the Big 12 Championship two of the last nine years. Their 1999 title was the Sooners’ first in more than a decade (1985). They also were crowned champions in 2002. Both years, Spates was honored as the Big 12 Coach of the Year. During his tenure as Sooner head coach, Spates has developed 22 All-America wrestlers who have earned the prestigious honor a total of 49 times. Also included on that list are 256 ALL-AMERICANS four-time All-Americans and national champions John Kading and Michael Lightner. Spates has also coached undefeated national champions in Lightner and Byron Tucker.

INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL Spates’ dedication to education is still evident today as his program regularly produces 65 CHAMPIONS Academic All-Big 12 and Academic All-America selections.

The most important role of Spates’ life is that of father. He is the proud father of four CONFERENCE TEAM children: Jessica, Jeremy, Justin and Jenilyn. Son Jeremy is a current assistant on the 23 TITLES Sooner staff. Jack Spates and his wife, Barby, are proud to make Norman their home. INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE 171 CHAMPIONS

OKLAHOMA WRESTLING -- HOME OF SEVEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS OKbigL AHOMA12 Cham vs.pionshi WISCONSIN ps sooner wrestling match notes WRESTLING RULES AND DEFINITIONS WRESTLING POSITIONS

•Starting Positions- There are four starting positions in wrestling. Here are the •Near Fall four and their definitions: A near fall is a position in which the offensive wrestler has the opponent in a 1. Neutral Position- The match will start with both contestants standing op- controlled pinning situation. When the following criteria are met for two seconds, posite each other with their lead foot on the green or red area of the starting lines two points are awarded. When met for five uninterrupted seconds, three points and their other foot even with or behind the lead foot. This is the neutral position are awarded. The criteria are as follows: 1) the wrestler is held in a high bridge in which neither wrestler has control. or on both elbows, 2) one shoulder or the head is touching the mat and the other 2. Defensive Wrestler- The defensive wrestler takes a stationary position at shoulder is held at an angle of 45 degrees or less to the mat, or 3) any part of both the center of the mat with both hands and knees on the mat, as directed by the shoulders or both scapulae are held within four inches of the mat. referee. 3. Offensive Wrestler- The offensive wrestler shall be on the right or left side of •Time Advantage the opponent with at least one knee on the mat and head on or above the midline The offensive wrestler who has control in an advantage position is gaining time of the opponent’s back. advantage. If the contestant with the greater time advantage has less than one 4. Optional Offensive Starting Position-The offensive wrestler may choose minute of net time advantage, no point is awarded. If a contestant has one minute to take a position on either side or to the rear of the defensive wrestler with both or more of net time advantage, that wrestler is awarded one point. hands on the opponent’s back, thumbs touching. The wrestler must indicate his intent to the referee. END OF MATCH

•Stalemates •Fall When the contestants are interlocked in a position other than a pinning situation Any part of both shoulders or part of both scapulae of either wrestler held in in which neither wrestler can improve position, the referee shall stop the match as contact with the mat for one second constitutes a fall. The one-second count (one- soon as possible and wrestling will be resumed. thousand-one) shall be a silent count by the referee and shall start only after the referee is in position to observe that a fall is imminent. •Position of Advantage This is a situation in which a contestant is in control and maintaining restrain- •Technical Fall ing power over the opponent. Control is the determining factor. The offensive A technical fall occurs when a wrestler has earned a 15-point advantage and a wrestler is entitled to this advantage until the opponent gains a neutral position near fall over the opponent. or a reversal. •Major Decision •In Bounds A major decision occurs when the margin of victory after three periods is eight Contestants are considered to be in bounds if the supporting parts of either wres- through 14 points. tler are inside the inside of the boundary lines. These supporting parts, such as the knees, the side of the thigh, the buttocks and the hands, bear the wrestler’s •Decision weight. Wrestling will continue as long as the supporting parts of either wrestler A decision occurs when the margin of victory is fewer than eight points. A decision remain in bounds. also is credited to the wrestler who is awarded the first point in an overtime match that does not end with a fall, default or disqualification. •Resumption of Wrestling After Out of Bounds The contestants at the resumption of a match shall be in the neutral or the starting •Default position on the mat as determined by the position held upon going out of bounds. A default is awarded in a match when one of the wrestlers is unable to continue wrestling for any reason. A default should be included as a win or loss in each SCORING OPPORTUNITIES wrestler’s season record.

•Takedown •Disqualification A takedown shall be awarded when, from the neutral position, a contestant gains A disqualification is a situation in which a contestant is banned from participation control and places the opponent’s supporting points down on the mat beyond in accordance with a pre-determined penalty table. A disqualification shall be reaction time. included as a win or loss in each wrestler’s season record.

•Escape •Forfeit A defensive wrestler is awarded an escape when the offensive wrestler loses con- A forfeit is received by a wrestler when the opponent, for any reason, fails to ap- trol of the opponent while the supporting points of either wrestler are in bounds. pear for the match. In order to receive a forfeit or medical forfeit, the nonforfeiting wrestler must be dressed in a wrestling uniform and appear on the mat. A forfeit •Reversal or medical forfeit shall be included as a win in the victor’s season record. In the A reversal occurs when the defensive wrestler comes from underneath and gains event of injury of illness, a contestant may declare a medical forfeit, which counts control of the opponent, either on the mat or in a rear-standing position. as a win but not as a loss on the record. MARCH 8, 2008

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 125 JOEY FIO (No. 15) 2007-08 Season Notes: freshman | 5-7 | sandpoint, idaho | Owns a 18-7 overall record on the year...Won his first four matches as a true freshman...Two of his first three wins he scored technical falls versus Missouri Valley and Oklahoma City...Placed fourth at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, going 3-2 on the day...Has recorded two falls and four technical falls on the season...Went 3-1 on his way to placing second at the Oklahoma Open...Owns an 12-4 dual record and a 6-3 tournament record on the season...Ranks third on the team with 49 takedowns in matches this season...His seven match winning streak, stretching from Dec. 7, 2007, to Jan. 18, 2008, was broken against Wisconsin...During that Match-by-Match Results streak he was outscoring opponents 87-35... DATE SCHOOL OPPONENT RESULT Knocked off No. 9 ranked Javier Maldonado of UT-Chattanooga (1/18) and No. 4 ranked and 11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Billy Exline W MD 21-6 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Adam Delong W MD 16-5 defending national champion Paul Donahoe of 11/10/2007 Liberty University Negley, Miles W TF 20-4 Nebraska (2/10)...Is outscoring his opponents 11/10/2007 Bloomsburg University Moser, Ian W DEC 13-7 249-136 on the year...Named the Big 12 wrestler 11/10/2007 US Military Academy Martinez, Fernando L DEC 4-11 11/10/2007 Brown University Einfrank, Greg W DEC 12-6 of the week on Feb. 11, the first freshman to 11/10/2007 Bloomsburg University Sees, Michael L DEC 6-13 garner the conference award this season...Is 11/24/2007 Tulsa Community College Matthew Buckbonder W TF 24-6 11/24/2007 Cally College Matt Banta W FALL - 3:27 ranked No. 15 this week...Sat out match versus 11/24/2007 University of Oklahoma Cannon, Greg W FALL - 7:36 Cal Poly due to injury...Returned versus No. 3 11/24/2007 Newman University Wall, Isaac L DEC 12-15 Oklahoma State in the final dual of the season 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University Ashmore, Ben L DEC 0-6 12/7/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma Zukerman, Tyler W DEC 11-5 and recorded another upset-win over No. 14 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Stein, Allen W DEC 13-8 Tyler Shinn. 1/5/2008 Cal State Univ. - Fullerton Gonzalez, Andre W TF 20-4 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Forshey, Drew W DEC 9-6 1/12/2008 Michigan State University Trombly, Joel W MD 15-6 1/12/2008 University of Pittsburgh Bosso, Ryan W DEC 3-2 1/18/2008 Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga Maldonado, Javier W MD 16-4 1/20/2008 University of Wisconsin Cudd, Collin L Dec. 7-4 1/25/2008 Reader, Jonathan L DEC 7-9 2/1/2008 Arizona State Robles, Anthony L FALL-1:22 2/8/2008 Olanowski, John W MD 11-2 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska Donahoe, Paul W DEC 6-5 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Shinn, Tyler W DEC 3-2

season record 18-7 dual record 12-4 BIG 12 3-2

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling

133 Brian Shelton 2007-08 Season Notes: Sophomore | 5-6 | El reno, okla. | el reno high school Owns a 7-5 overall record, with all action coming in duals...Sat out five matches versus Pittsburgh, UT-Chattanooga, Wisconsin, Iowa State and Arizona State because of injury...Defeated No. 17-ranked T.J. Dillashaw of Cal-State Fullerton... Went 3-0 at the Lonestar Duals...Returned versus Missouri on Feb. 8...Recently picked up a win over Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly.

Match-by-Match Results DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT

11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Jon Gerland W DEC 4-2 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Justin Blumer W DEC 9-2 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University Scott, Coleman L DEC 0-1 12/7/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma Branscum, Trey W DEC 6-1 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Baker, Joseph W DEC 6-5 1/5/2008 Cal State Univ. - Fullerton Dillashaw, Tyler W DEC 4-1 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Lopes, Danny W DEC 6-2 1/12/2008 Michigan State University Gomez, Franklin L MD 9-1 2/8/2008 University of Missouri McCormick, Tyler L DEC 6-0 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska Jordan, Kenny L DEC 11-4 2/15/2008 Cal Poly Novachkoc, Boris W MD 13-5 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Scott, Coleman L DEC 2-7

season record 7-5 dual record 7-5 BIG 12 0-4

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 141 ZACK BAILEY (No. 16) 2007-08 Season Notes: Redshirt freshman | 5-7 | kansas city, mo. | oak park hs Owns a 25-10 overall record on the season... Began the season winning his first 11 matches... Placed first at the Lindenwood Open, winning all five matches...Won his opening two duals, both by major decisions...Has a 7-9 dual record and a 18-1 tournament record...Won the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, as well as the Missouri Open...Lost in the finals of the Midlands tournament, going 5-1...Has recorded 22 takedowns on the season...Sat out match versus Arizona State because of injury...Returned against Missouri, recording a 3-1 decision win over Marcus Hoen, marking his first career Big 12 victory...His 25 victories on the season is a Match-by-Match Results team best. DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT

10/27/2007 Lindenwood University Dix, Joshua W MD 12-3 10/27/2007 Rend Lake College Frandle, Dustin W FALL - 2:55 10/27/2007 Mckendree College Jahn, Ryan W MD 16-5 10/27/2007 Mckendree College Waye, Jermaine W MD 14-2 10/27/2007 University of Missouri Hannon, Vince W DEC 4-3 11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Brandon Nice W MD 14-3 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Jeremy Garner W MD 13-1 11/10/2007 University of Buffalo Stella, Andrew W DEC 10-8 11/10/2007 Liberty University Harner, Tim W DEC 7-4 11/10/2007 Kent State University Lashaway, Drew W DEC 3-1 11/10/2007 Rutgers University Adamcsik, Steve W DEC 6-4 11/15/2007 North Carolina State University Caramanica, Joe L DEC 0-5 11/17/2007 Indiana University Kelly, Scott W DEC 10-5 11/17/2007 University of Missouri Hannon, Vince W DEC 4-3 11/17/2007 University of Missouri Hoehn, Marcus W DEC 8-2 11/17/2007 Williams, Ryan W DEC 2-0 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University Morgan, Nathan L DEC 4-9 12/7/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma Evans, Kyle W DEC 8-7 12/29/2007 Olivet College Yahrmarkt, Robert W MD 12-2 12/29/2007 Iowa State University Jensen, Dalton W DEC 6-0 12/29/2007 University Of Nebraska-Kearney Rutledge, Jeff W DEC 10-5 12/29/2007 University of Nebraska-Lincoln K Sulzer W DEC 1-0 12/29/2007 Downing, Carter W DEC 8-3 12/29/2007 University of Iowa Leclere, Nick L DEC 4-5 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Shober, Glenn W DEC 7-5 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Stabile, Nicholas W DEC 12-8 1/12/2008 Michigan State University Carter, Micah W TF 17-0 1/12/2008 University of Pittsburgh Headlee, Drew L DEC 0-2 1/18/2008 Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga Cody Cleveland L MD 14-6 1/20/2008 University of Wisconsin Kyle Ruschell L Dec 3-1 1/25/2008 Iowa State University Gallick, Nick L DEC 3-10 2/8/2008 University of Missouri Hoehn, Marcus W DEC 3-1 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska Rowe, Robert L DEC 7-4 2/15/2008 Cal Poly Mendes, Chad L DEC 9-2 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Morgan, Nathan L DEC 4-5 season record 25-10 dual record 7-9 BIG 12 1-4

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 149 will rowe (No. 17) 2007-08 Season Notes: Has tallied a 21-6 overall record this season.... Junior | 5-8 | arlington, Texas | lamar high school Started the season with a nine match winning streak...Fourth on the team with three falls this season...Upset defending ACC Wrestler of the Year and then-ranked No. 11 Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State by a fall...Crowned cham- pion at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, going 4-0...Placed third at the Kaufman/Brand Tournament...Is 14-4 in dual meets, includ- ing a win over Quinten Fuentes of then-No. 2 Oklahoma State...Has recorded three falls and one technical fall in dual meets...Leads the team with 53 overall takedowns on the season... Recently posted his second Bedlam victory of the season with a decision win over Ryan Free- Match-by-Match Results man...Advanced to the NCAA’s last season after DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT being voted a wild card selection at the Big 12 11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Brian Graham W FALL - 2:35 Championships. 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Nik Turner W TF 22-7 11/10/2007 Suny - Brockport Bohn, Jake W TF 21-5 11/10/2007 Liberty University Clymer, Scott W MD 11-1 11/10/2007 Kent State University Sponseller, Clint W TF 17-2 11/10/2007 University of Buffalo Gingerich, Dana W DEC 9-4 11/15/2007 North Carolina State University Caldwell, Darrion W FALL - 4:45 11/17/2007 University of Northern Iowa Humpal, Daniel W MD 19-5 11/17/2007 Minnesota State Mankato Mekeel, Willy W MD 10-2 11/17/2007 University of Nebraska Burroughs, Jordan L TF 23-8 11/17/2007 Lehigh University Chinn, Trevor L DEC 4-2 11/17/2007 NWCA Jacob Naig W DEC 9-6 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University Fuentes, Quinten W DEC 10-4 12/7/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma ROBINSON, COLBY W DEC 12-5 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Manley, Spencer W DEC 6-5 1/5/2008 Cal State Univ. - Fullerton Atkinson, Morgan W DEC 13-7 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Ramirez, Vincent W FALL - 4:25 1/12/2008 Michigan State University Hammer, Tim W MD 18-9 1/12/2008 University of Pittsburgh Ciampoli, Joe W MD 11-1 1/18/2008 Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga Knox, Joey L DEC 6-0 1/20/2008 University of Wisconsin Vogel, Kendall W MD 19-6 1/25/2008 Iowa State University Mueller, Mitch L DEC 2-5 2/1/2008 Arizona State Trulson, Jerrad W MD 14-4 2/8/2008 University of Missouri Wagner, Josh L DEC 10-6 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska Burroughs, Jordan L DEC 5-3 2/15/2008 Cal Poly Maldonado, Eric W DEC 9-7 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Freeman, Ryan W DEC 7-2 season record 21-6 dual record 14-4 BIG 12 2-3

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 157 chad terry (No. 17) 2007-08 Season Notes: Owns a 18-5 record on the season...Placed first sophomore | 5-11 | Midwest city, okla. | carl albert high school at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, going 4-0 against competition...Won four matches on his way to the Oklahoma Open title...His only five losses of the season have come against ranked opponents...Has recorded two falls, one technical fall and two major decisions...10-5 on the season in duals...Broke a two-match losing skid versus Pavlenko of ASU... Sat out match versus Missouri due to illness... Returned against Nebraska and recorded a win versus Oliver...His No. 16 rating on Feb. 11 was the highest of his career...Recently picked up his first career Bedlam victory, blanking Neil Eris- man of the No. 3 Cowboys, 4-0. Match-by-Match Results

DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT

11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Juan Alvarez W FALL - 3:42 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Brandon Benson W DEC 2-0 11/10/2007 Brown University Marandino, Leonard W DEC 10-4 11/10/2007 Rutgers University Lijo, Jamie W MD 16-2 11/10/2007 Liberty University Smith, Shaun W MD 8-0 11/10/2007 Bloomsburg University Bermudez, Dennis W DEC 8-2 11/15/2007 North Carolina State University Ward, Ray W DEC 9-2 11/24/2007 NWCA Brian Kinsella W TF 17-1 11/24/2007 Neosho County Community Colleg Burton, Dustin W FALL - 4:38 11/24/2007 Oklahoma City University Benson, Brandon W DEC 7-2 11/24/2007 University of Oklahoma Vernon, Shane W DEC 4-3 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University McSpadden, Newly L DEC 1-6 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Ahern, Joel W DEC 8-2 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Fiacco, Benjamin W DEC 6-0 1/12/2008 Michigan State University Fulger, John W DEC 7-2 1/12/2008 University of Pittsburgh Kocher, Matt L DEC 1-2 1/18/2008 Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga Garvin, Seth W DEC 8-1 1/20/2008 University of Wisconsin Henning, Craig L Dec. 4-0 1/25/2008 Iowa State University Sanderson, Cyler L DEC 3-8 2/1/2008 Arizona State Pavlenko, Alex W MD 15-7 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska Oliver, Christopher W DEC 6-1 2/15/2008 Cal Poly Pami, Chase L FALL - 4:43 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Erisman, Neil W DEC 4-0 season record 18-5 dual record 10-5 BIG 12 2-2

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 165 max dean 2007-08 Season Notes: Transferred to OU from Indiana...Owns a 18-7 senior | 5-9 | cincinnati, ohio | Lakota west high school record on the year, with an 11-7 dual record... His four recorded falls on the season is third on the team...Started his Sooner career winning his first 11 matches...Placed first at the Brockport/ Oklahoma Gold Classic, going 3-0...Won all four matches at the Oklahoma Open on the way to a first place title...Has 34 takedowns on the season.

Match-by-Match Results DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT

11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Chris Jones W DEC 7-6 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Trevor Adkisson W FALL - 2:52 11/4/2007 Neosho CC Carney, Kenneth W MD 15-5 11/10/2007 Brown University Siedlecki, Alexander W Def. 11/10/2007 Suny - Brockport Bradshaw, Shaheim W DEC 3-2 11/10/2007 University of Oklahoma Jackson, Jake W Def. 11/15/2007 North Carolina State University Dozier, Jalil W MD 15-3 11/24/2007 NeoshoCC Fairleigh, Denis W FALL - 3:51 11/24/2007 Pratt Community College Schmult, Kieran W FALL - 2:48 11/24/2007 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Foust, Cody W FALL - 1:42 11/24/2007 Oklahoma State University Griffin, Kyle W DEC 6-3 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University Dieffenbach, Jacob L DEC 2-3 12/7/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma Rowell, Cody W FALL - 5:36 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Demichiel, Matt W DEC 8-4 1/5/2008 Cal State Univ. - Fullerton Bristol, Teddy W MD 10-0 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Mueller, Keegan L DEC 4-6 1/12/2008 Michigan State University Kendle, Rex W MD 15-5 1/12/2008 University of Pittsburgh Richmond, Sean W DEC 3-1 1/18/2008 Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga Davis, Nick L DEC 1-3 1/25/2008 Iowa State University Reader, Jonathan L DEC 7-9 2/1/2008 Arizona State University Pitsch, Patrick W DEC 5-2 2/8/2008 University of Missouri Marable, Nicholas L DEC 2-5 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska Dwyer, Stephen L DEC 6-8 2/15/2008 Cal Poly Williams, Ryan W DEC 5-4 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Dieffenbach, Jake L DEC 3-7 season record 18-7 dual record 11-7 BIG 12 0-5

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 174 PAT FLYNN 2007-08 Season Notes: Record of 5-4 on the season, with all but one REDSHIRT FRESHMAN | 6-2 | QUAKERTOWN, Pa. | QUAKERTOWN HS start coming in tournament action...Started the season with a dual victory over Nixon of Neosho CC...Went 2-2 at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic...Also went 2-2 at Kaufman/Brand Open...Matches at the Big 12 Championships will be his first at 174 pounds (previously competed at 184 and 197 pounds)...Transferred to Oklahoma from Lehigh.

Match-by-Match Results DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT

11/4/2007 Neosho County Community College Nixon, Daunte’ W FALL - :18 11/10/2007 US Military Academy Ferguson, Scott L DEC 3-5 11/10/2007 University of Buffalo Brown, Jason W MD 14-2 11/10/2007 Rutgers University Dobish, Keith W DEC 5-2 11/10/2007 University of Oklahoma Hinton, Joshua L DEC 1-2 11/17/2007 University of Northern Iowa Dunning, Danny W FALL - 4:49 11/17/2007 University Of Nebaska-Omaha Pankoke, Ryan L DEC 8-4 11/17/2007 University Of Nebraska-Kearney Farrell, Matt L Mfor - 11/17/2007 US Air Force Academy Devlin, Jacob W DEC 2-1 season record 5-4 dual record 1-0 BIG 12 0-0

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 184 joshua weitzel (No. 6) 2007-08 Season Notes: Owns a 23-2 overall record...Is 16-2 this season senior | 6-0 | lincoln university, pa. | oxford high school in duals...Has recorded six falls and six major decisions on the year...Has posted 18 take- downs...Is 7-0 in tournament competition with championship titles at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic and the Oklahoma Open...His only two losses of the season have come versus No. 1 Jake Varner of Iowa State and No. 2 Nicholas Marable of Missouri...Has recorded four wins over ranked opponents this season...Was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week after his Bedlam pin over Jack Jensen...Advanced to the NCAA’s from last year’s Big 12 Championships after being named a wild card selection. Match-by-Match Results DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT

11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Charlie Gibbs W MD 10-0 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Mitchell Eichenauer W FALL - 2:26 11/10/2007 Suny - Brockport Austin, Anthony W FALL - 1:39 11/10/2007 University of Buffalo Moran, Mickey W DEC 2-0 11/10/2007 Kent State University Chine, Eric W FALL - 6:12 11/15/2007 North Carolina State University W For. 11/24/2007 Labette Community College Rencountre, Chance W MD 10-0 11/24/2007 Newman University Josh Fowler W TF 15-0 11/24/2007 Oklahoma City University Eichenauer, Mitchell W FALL - 1:09 11/24/2007 Oklahoma State University Jensen, Jack W DEC 5-3 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University Hill, Cody W DEC 3-2 12/7/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma Jolley, Heath W DEC 6-0 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Parsons, Matthew W MD 14-6 1/5/2008 Cal State Univ. - Fullerton Murphy, Ian W DEC 7-4 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Tenpenny, Nick W DEC 7-2 1/12/2008 Michigan State University Palmieri, Nick W DEC 9-2 1/12/2008 University of Pittsburgh Sullivan, Dave W DEC 5-0 1/18/2008 Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga Edmondson, Josh W MD 13-0 1/20/2008 University of Wisconsin Brandvold, Trevor W MD 11-2 1/25/2008 Iowa State University Varner, Jake L DEC 1-5 2/1/2008 Arizona State University Chriswell, Brent W FALL-6:01 2/8/2008 University of Missouri Jordan, Raymond L DEC 5-2 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska Jones, Vince W DEC 7-2 2/15/2008 Cal Poly Varela, Ernie W MD 12-0 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Jensen, Jack W FALL - 2:18 season record 23-2 dual record 16-2 BIG 12 3-2

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 197 joel flaggert (No. 9) 2007-08 Season Notes: Is a two-time All-American...Owns a 21-3 on senior | 6-1 | choctaw, okla. | Choctaw high school the season...Is 15-3 in dual action...Second on the team with 52 takedowns this season...Also has posted two technical falls and two falls...6-0 in tournament action with first place titles at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic and Oklahoma Open...Suffered his first loss against No. 6-ranked Herbst of Wisconsin (1/20)... Rebounded versus No. 20 David Zabriskie of No. 9-ranked Iowa State...Defeated Arturo of Cal Poly by a fall in the first period...Recently picked up his second Bedlam win on the season with a win over Foster of the No. 3 Cowboys...Placed third last year at the Big 12 Championships. Match-by-Match Results DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT

11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Jeff Cobb W TF 15-3 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Corey Johnson W TF 21-6 11/10/2007 US Military Academy Schiering, Daniel W MD 16-5 11/10/2007 Kent State University Blackwell, Michael W MD 9-1 11/10/2007 Rutgers University Brown, Lamar W MD 12-4 11/15/2007 North Carolina State University Jahad, Mark W TF 24-8 11/24/2007 Ciabo Esteban Cano W MD 12-3 11/24/2007 Oklahoma City University Hood, Ronnie W TF 15-0 11/24/2007 Oklahoma State University Cointment, Chaz W MD 20-6 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University Foster, Clayton W DEC 12-10 12/7/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma Edison, Jarrett W DEC 6-1 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Moyer, Allan W FALL - 2:47 1/5/2008 Cal State Univ. - Fullerton Drake, John W DEC 8-2 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Drury, Dennis W DEC 11-4 1/12/2008 Michigan State University Williams, Joseph W DEC 3-2 1/12/2008 University of Pittsburgh Crowell, Dave W MD 12-2 1/18/2008 Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga Koz, Matt W DEC 5-2 1/20/2008 University of Wisconsin Herbst, Dallas L DEC 4-2 1/25/2008 Iowa State University Bertolino, David W DEC 3-2 2/1/2008 Arizona State University Moen, Thor W MD 16-6 2/8/2008 University of Missouri Askren, Maxwell L DEC 3-0 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska Brester, Craig L DEC 6-1 2/15/2008 Cal Poly Basulto, Arturo W FALL - 2:28 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Foster, Clayton W DEC 9-6 season record 21-3 dual record 15-3 BIG 12 3-2

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling hwt. nathan fernandez 2007-08 Season Notes: Has posted an 14-11 record on the season.... redshirt freshman | 5-11 | lawton, okla. | macarthur high school Climbed as high as No. 14 in the nation... Recorded two falls and two major decisions on the year...Has 16 takedowns in this year’s matches...Went 4-0 on the way to a Brockport/ Oklahoma Gold tournament title...Also won the Oklahoma Open with three victories...Started the season with 10 straight victories...Recently recorded a fall versus Jim Powers of Cal Poly (Feb. 15)

Match-by-Match Results DATE SCHOOL opponent reSULT

11/4/2007 Missouri Valley College Travis Ewart W FALL - 4:40 11/4/2007 Oklahoma City University Jeremy Johnson W MD 12-2 11/10/2007 US Military Academy Clark, Scott W DEC 8-2 11/10/2007 University of Buffalo Parker, Jeff W DEC 4-3 11/10/2007 Liberty University Walker, Patrick W DEC 6-3 11/10/2007 University of Oklahoma Farmer, Bradley W DEC 4-0 11/15/2007 North Carolina State Isola, Robert W DEC 11-6 11/24/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma Land, Braden W DEC 4-2 11/24/2007 Oklahoma City University Johnson, Jeremy W MD 16-3 11/24/2007 University of Oklahoma , Luis W DEC 3-1 12/2/2007 Oklahoma State University Rosholt, Adam L DEC 3-6 12/7/2007 Univ. Of Central Oklahoma Finn, Dustin L DEC 1-2 1/5/2008 US Naval Academy Prendergast, Ed L DEC 2-4 1/5/2008 Cal State Univ. - Fullerton Sauer, Wade L DEC 2-3 1/5/2008 University of North Carolina Dobies, Justin L DEC 3-7 1/12/2008 Michigan State University O’Donnell, Alan W DEC 5-2 1/12/2008 University of Pittsburgh Sheaffer, Zach L DEC 0-2 1/18/2008 Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga Lettner, Matt W DEC 3-1 1/20/2008 University of Wisconsin Massey, Kyle L DEC 4-2 1/25/2008 Iowa State University Zabriskie, David L DEC 5-6 2/1/2008 Arizona State University Pruett, Quinton W DEC 2-0 2/8/2008 University of Missouri Ellis, Mark L DEC 6-2 2/10/2008 University of Nebraska May, Jon L DEC 6-3 2/15/2008 Cal Poly Powers, Jim W FALL - 5:41 2/21/2008 Oklahoma State University Rosholt, Jared L DEC 3-8 season record 14-11 dual record 7-11 BIG 12 0-5

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling 2007-08 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 14-5 Dual Record, 1-4 Big 12 Conference

Wt. Name Overall Dual Tournament Dec. Maj. Dec. Falls Pins 125 Joey Fio 18-7 12-4 6-3 8-5 5-1 3-0 2-1 133 Brian Shelton 7-5 7-5 0-0 6-4 1-1 0-0 0-0 141 Zack Bailey 25-10 7-9 18-1 16-9 6-2 1-0 1-0 149 Will Rowe 21-6 14-4 7-2 8-5 7-0 3-1 3-0 157 Chad Terry 18-5 10-5 8-0 12-4 3-0 1-0 2-1 165 Max Dean 18-7 11-8 7-0 7-7 4-0 0-0 5-0 174 Pat Flynn 5-4 1-0 4-4 2-3 1-0 0-0 2-0 184 Joshua Weitzel 23-2 16-2 7-0 9-2 6-0 1-0 6-0 197 Joel Flaggert 21-3 14-4 6-0 8-3 8-0 3-0 21-0 HWT Nathan Fernandez 14-11 7-11 7-0 10-11 2-0 0-0 2-0

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS Match-by-match results

Oklahoma 47 Missouri Valley 0 Oklahoma 30 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 9 125: Joey Fio (OU) tech. fall Billy Exline (MoVal), 21-6 125: Taylor Cummings (NCST) dec. Greg Cannon (OU), 6-4 133: Brian Shelton (OU) dec. Jon Gerland (MoVal), 4-2 133: Ryan Tice (NCST) dec. J.R. Roman (OU), 13-10 141: Zach Bailey (OU) maj. dec. Brandon Nice (MoVal), 14-3 141: Joe Caramanica (NCST) dec. Zack Bailey (OU), 5-0 149: Will Rowe (OU) fall Brian Graham (MoVal), 2:35 149: Will Rowe (NEO) fall Darrion Caldwell (NCST), 4:45 157: Chad Terry (OU) fall Juan Alvarez (MoVal), 3:42 157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. Ray Ward (NCST), 9-2 165: Max Dean (OU) dec. Chris Jones (MoVal), 7-6 165: Max Dean (OU) maj. dec. Jalil Dozier (NCST), 15-3 174: Jeff James winner by forfeit 174: Jeff James (OU) dec. Randy Goodman (NCST), 3-2 184: Joshua Weitzel (OU) maj. dec. Charlie Gibbs (MoVal), 10-0 184: Joshua Weitzel (OU) win by forfeit 197: Joel Flaggert (OU) maj. dec. 15-3 Jeff Cobb (MoVal), 15-3 197: Joel Flaggert (OU) tech. fall. Mark Jahad (NCST), 24-8 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) fall Travis Ewart (MoVal), 4:40 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Bobby Isola (NCST), 11-6

Oklahoma 44 Oklahoma City 0 Oklahoma 9 Oklahoma STATE 21 125: Joey Fio (OU) maj. dec. Adam Delong (OCU), 16-5 125: Ben Ashmore (OSU) dec. Joey Fio (OU), 6-0 133: Brian Shelton (OU) dec. Justin Blumer (OCU), 9-2 133: No. 2 Coleman Scott (OSU) dec. Brian Shelton (OU), 1-0 141: Zach Bailey (OU) maj. dec. Jeremy Garner (OCU), 13-1 141: No. 4 Nathan Morgan (OSU) dec. No. 15 Zack Bailey (OU), 9-4 149: Will Rowe (OU) maj. dec. Nikolas Turner (OCU), 22-7 149: No.9 Will Rowe (OU) dec. Quinten Fuentes (OSU), 10-4 157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. Brandon Benson (OCU), 2-0 157: Newly McSpadden (OSU) dec. Chad Terry (OU), 6-1 165: Max Dean (OU) fall Trevor Adkisson (OCU), 2:52 165: Jake Dieffenbach (OSU) dec. No. 16 Max Dean (OU), 3-2 174: Jeff James (OU) maj. dec. John Wilcox (OCU), 10-2 174: No. 5 Brandon Mason (OSU) dec. Jeff James (OU), 5-0 184: Joshua Weitzel (OU) fall Mitch Eichenauer (OCU), 2:26 184: No. 11 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Cody Hill (OSU), 3-2 197: Joel Flaggert (OU) tech. fall Cory Johnson (OCU), 21-6 197: No. 9 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. Clayton Foster (OSU), 12-10 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) maj. dec. Jeremy Johnson (OCU), 12-2 HWT: No. 10 Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. No. 20 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 6-3

Oklahoma 50 Neosho CC 3 Olahoma 27 Central Oklahoma 6 125: Greg Cannon (OU) winner by forfeit 125: Joey Fio (OU) dec Tyler Zukerman (UCO), 11-5 133: John Starzyk (OU) fall Ian Seaton (NEO), 2:40 133: Brian Shelton (OU) dec. Trey Branscum (UCO), 6-1 141: Kyle Terry (OU) winner by medical forfeit 141: Zack Bailey (OU) dec. Kyle Evans (UCO), 8-7 149: Ty Jaquess (NEO) dec. Matt Sansone (OU), 5-9 149: Will Rowe (OU) dec. Colby Robinson (UCO), 12-5 157: Shane Vernon (OU) winner by forfeit 157: Jason Leavitt (UCO) dec.Shane Vernon (OU), 2-1 165: Max Dean (OU) maj. dec. Kenny Carney (NEO), 15-5 165: Max Dean (OU) Fall Cody Rowell (UCO), 5:36 174: Jeff James (OU) maj. dec. Jason Green (NEO), 16-2 174: Jeff James (OU) dec. Tommy McCarty (UCO), 4-1 184: Josh Hinton (OU) fall Tim Cross (NEO), 0:17 184: Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Heath Jolley (UCO), 6-0 197: Pat Flynn (OU) fall Daunte Nixon (NEO), 2:42 197: Joey Flaggert (OU) dec. Jarrett Edison (UCO), 6-1 HWT: Brad Farmer (OU) fall Sam Robbins (NEO), 2:02 HWT: Dustin Finn (UCO) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 2-1

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling Match-by-match results

Oklahoma 28 NAVY 6 OKLAHOMA 29 MICHIGAN STATE 7 Oklahoma 30 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 9 125: Joey Fio (OU) dec. Allan Stein (UNA), 13-8 125: Taylor Cummings (NCST) dec. Greg Cannon (OU), 6-4 125: Joey Fio (OU) maj. dec. Joel Trombly (MSU), 15-6 133: Brian Shelton (OU) dec. Joe Baker (UNA), 6-5 133: Ryan Tice (NCST) dec. J.R. Roman (OU), 13-10 133: No. 3 Franklin Gomez (MSU) maj. dec. No. 18 Brian Shelton (OU), 9-1 141: Joe Caramanica (NCST) dec. Zack Bailey (OU), 5-0 141: No. 11 Zack Bailey (OU) dec. Glenn Shober (UNA), 7-5 141: No. 12 Zack Bailey (OU) tech. fall Micah Carter (MSU), 17-0 149: Will Rowe (NEO) fall Darrion Caldwell (NCST), 4:45 149: No. 8 Will Rowe (OU) dec. Spencer Manley (UNA), 6-5 149: No. 8 Will Rowe (OU) maj. dec. Tim Hammer (MSU), 18-9 157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. Ray Ward (NCST), 9-2 157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. Joel Ahern (UNA), 8-2 157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. John Fulger (MSU), 7-2 165: Max Dean (OU) maj. dec. Jalil Dozier (NCST), 15-3 165: No. 12 Max Dean (OU) dec. Matt DeMichael (UNA), 8-4 165: No. 14 Max Dean (OU) maj. dec. Rex Kendle (MSU), 15-5 174: Jeff James (OU) dec. Randy Goodman (NCST), 3-2 174: Matt Stolpinski (UNA) dec. Jeff James (OU), 3-2 174: Nick Palmieri (MSU) dec. Jeff James (OU), 4-1 184: Joshua Weitzel (OU) win by forfeit 184: No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (OU) maj. dec. Parsons (UNA), 14-6 184: No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Nick Palmieri (MSU), 9-2 197: Joel Flaggert (OU) tech. fall. Mark Jahad (NCST), 24-8 197: No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU) fall Tyler Moyer (UNA), 2:47 197: No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. No. 18 Joe Williams (MSU), 3-2 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Bobby Isola (NCST), 11-6 HWT: Pronderast (UNA) dec. No. 14 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 2-4 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Alan O’Donnell (MSU), 5-2

Oklahoma 9 Oklahoma STATE 21 Oklahoma 27 Cal-State Fullerton 6 OKLAHOMA 17 PITTSBURGH 15 125: Ben Ashmore (OSU) dec. Joey Fio (OU), 6-0 125: Joey Fio (OU) maj. dec. Andre Gonzalez (CSF), 20-4 125: Joey Fio (OU) dec. Ryan Boss (PITT), 3-2 133: No. 2 Coleman Scott (OSU) dec. Brian Shelton (OU), 1-0 133: Brian Shelton (OU) dec. TJ Dillashaw (CSF), 5-1 133: Jimmy Conroy (PITT) dec. J.R. Roman (OU), 8-3 141: No. 4 Nathan Morgan (OSU) dec. No. 15 Zack Bailey (OU), 9-4 141: Teddy Astorga (CSF) dec. Kyle Terry (OU), 10-6 141: Drew Headlee (PITT) dec. No. 12 Zack Bailey (OU), 2-0 149: No.9 Will Rowe (OU) dec. Quinten Fuentes (OSU), 10-4 149: No. 8 Will Rowe (OU) dec. Morgan Atkinson (CSF), 13-7 149: No. 8 Will Rowe (OU) maj. dec. Joe Ciampoli (PITT), 11-1 157: Newly McSpadden (OSU) dec. Chad Terry (OU), 6-1 157: Shane Vernon (OU) dec. Devan Velasquez (UNA), 4-2 157: No. 4 Matt Kocher (PITT) dec. Chad Terry (OU), 2-1 165: Jake Dieffenbach (OSU) dec. No. 16 Max Dean (OU), 3-2 165: No. 12 Max Dean (OU) maj. dec. Tedd Bristll (UNA), 10-0 165: No. 14 Max Dean (OU) dec. Shawn Richards (PITT), 3-1 174: No. 5 Brandon Mason (OSU) dec. Jeff James (OU), 5-0 174: Jeff James (OU) dec. Ryan Budd (UNA), 4-0 174: No. 1 Kevin Gavin (PITT) dec. Jeff James (OU), 9-5 184: No. 11 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Cody Hill (OSU), 3-2 184: No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Ian Murphy (UNA), 7-4 184: No. 8 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. David Sullivan (PITT), 5-0 197: No. 9 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. Clayton Foster (OSU), 12-10 197: No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. John Drake (UNA), 8-3 197: No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU) maj. dec. David Crowell (PITT), 12-2 HWT: No. 10 Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. No. 20 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 6-3 HWT: Wade Sauer (UNA) dec. No. 14 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 3-2 HWT: No. 11 Zach Sheaffer (OU) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 2-0

Olahoma 27 Central Oklahoma 6 OKLAHOMA 27 NORTH CAROLINA 6 OKLAHOMA 21 UT-CHATTANOOGA 13 125: Joey Fio (OU) dec Tyler Zukerman (UCO), 11-5 125: Joey Fio (OU) dec. Forshey (UNC), 9-6 125: Joey Fio (OU) maj. dec. No. 9 Javier Maldonado (UTC), 16-4 133: Brian Shelton (OU) dec. Trey Branscum (UCO), 6-1 133: Brian Shelton (OU) dec. Danny Lopes (UNC), 7-3 133: John Starzyk (OU) maj. dec. No. 19 Steve Hromada (UTC), 12-2 141: Zack Bailey (OU) dec. Kyle Evans (UCO), 8-7 141: No. 11 Zack Bailey (OU) dec. Nick Stable (UNC), 12-8 141: Cody Cleveland (UTC) maj. dec. No. 11 Zack Bailey (OU), 14-6 149: Will Rowe (OU) dec. Colby Robinson (UCO), 12-5 149: No. 8 Will Rowe (OU) fall Vincent Ramirez (UNC), 4:25 149: No. 20 Joey Knox (UTC) dec. No. 9 Will Rowe (OU), 6-0 157: Jason Leavitt (UCO) dec.Shane Vernon (OU), 2-1 157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. Fiacco (UNC), 6-0 157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. No. 20 Seth Garvin (UTC), 8-1 165: Max Dean (OU) Fall Cody Rowell (UCO), 5:36 165: Keegan Mueller (UNC) dec. Max Dean (OU), 6-4 165: Nick Davis (UTC) dec. No. 20 Max Dean (OU), 3-1 174: Jeff James (OU) dec. Tommy McCarty (UCO), 4-1 174: Jeff James (OU) dec. Kyle Kiss (UNC), 2-0 174: No. 14 Lloyd Rogers (UTC) dec. Jeff James (OU), 6-4 184: Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Heath Jolley (UCO), 6-0 184: No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Tenpenny (UNC), 7-2 184: No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (OU) maj. dec. Josh Edmondson (UTC), 13-0 197: Joey Flaggert (OU) dec. Jarrett Edison (UCO), 6-1 197: No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. Dennis Drurry (UNC), 11-4 197: No. 3 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. No. 14 Matt Koz (UTC), 5-2 HWT: Dustin Finn (UCO) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 2-1 HWT: Justin Dobies (UNC) dec. No. 14 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 7-3 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Matt Lettner (UTC), 3-1

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling Match-by-match results

Oklahoma 15 WISCONSIN 18 Oklahoma 10 MISSOURI 23 125: No. 18 Collin Cudd (UW) dec. Joey Fio (OU), 7-4 125: Joey Fio (OU) maj. dec. John Olanowski (MU), 11-2 133: No. 12 Zach Tanelli (UW) dec. John Starzyk (OU), 10-5 133: Tyler McCormick (MU) dec. No. 13 Brian Shelton (OU), 6-0 141: No. 8 Kyle Ruschell (UW) dec. No. 11 Zack Bailey (OU), 3-1 141: No. 15 Zack Bailey (OU) dec. Marcus Hoehn (MU), 3-1 149: No. 9 Will Rowe (OU) maj. dec. Kendall Vogel (UW), 19-6 149: No. 15 Josh Wagner (MU) dec. No. 13 Will Rowe (OU), 10-6 157: No. 2 Chad Henning (UW) dec. Chad Terry (OU), 4-0 157: No. 14 Michael Chandler (MU) tech. fall Shane Vernon (OU), 18-1 165: Shane Vernon (OU) dec. Jake Donar (UW), 8-7 165: No. 2 Nicholas Marable (MU) dec. No. 20 Max Dean (OU), 5-2 174: Jeff James (OU) maj. dec. Justin Peterson (UW), 10-1 174: Jeff James (OU) maj. dec. Brock Wittmeyer (MU), 12-4 184: No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (OU) maj. dec. No. 14 Trevor Brandvold (UW), 11-2 184: No. 4 Raymond Jackson (MU) dec. No. 6 Joshua Weitzel (OU), 5-2 197: No. 6 Dallas Herbst (UW) dec. No. 3 Joel Flaggert (OU), 4-2 197: No. 5 Maxwell Askren (MU) dec. No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU), 3-0 HWT: No. 13 Kyle Massey (UW) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 4-2 HWT: Mark Ellis (MU) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 6-2

Oklahoma 3 iowa state 31 Oklahoma 9 NEBRASKA 21 125: No. 17 Tyler Clark (ISU) maj. dec. Joey Fio (OU), 9-0 125: Joey Fio (OU) dec. No. 4 Paul Donahoe (NU), 6-5 133: No. 7 Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) fall John Starzyk (OU), 5:29 133: No. 8 Kenny Jordan (NU) dec. No. 13 Brian Shelton (OU), 11-4 141: No. 20 Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. No. 14 Zack Bailey (OU), 10-3 141: Mike Rowe (NU) dec. No. 15 Zack Bailey (OU), 7-4 149: Mitch Mueller (ISU) dec. No. 9 Will Rowe (OU), 5-2 149: No. 7 Jordan Burroughs (NU) dec. No. 13 Will Rowe (OU), 5-3 157: No. 6 Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. No. 20 Chad Terry (OU), 8-3 157: No. 20 Chad Terry (OU) dec. No. 16 Chris Oliver, 6-1 165: Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Max Dean (OU), 9-7 165: No. 10 Stephen Dwyer (NU) dec. No. 20 Max Dean (OU), 8-6 174: Aron Scott (ISU) dec. Jeff James (OU), 3-1 174: No. 5 Brandon Browen (NU) dec. Jeff James (OU), 5-4 184: No. 1 Jake Varner (ISU) dec. No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (OU), 5-1 184: No. 6 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. No. 9 Vince Jones (NU), 7-2 197: No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. No. 20 David Bertolino (ISU), 3-2 197: No. 10 Craig Brester (NU) dec. No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU), 6-1 HWT: No. 5 David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 6-5 HWT: No. 20 Jon May (NU) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 6-3

OKLAHOMA 31 ARIZONA STATE 9 OKLAHOMA 32 CAL POLY 9 125: No. 14 Anthony Robles (ASU) fall Joey Fio (OU), 1:22 125: Greg Cannon (OU) dec. Micah Ferguson (CP), 7-0 133: Todd Schavrien (ASU) dec. J.R. Roman (OU), 7-2 133: Brian Shelton (OU) maj. dec. Boris Novachkov (CP), 13-5 141: Nolan Spring (OU) dec. Chris Drouin (ASU), 6-4 141: No. 1 Chad Mendes (CP) dec. No. 16 Zack Bailey (OU), 9-2 149: No. 13 Will Rowe (OU) maj. dec. Jerrad Trulson (ASU), 14-4 149: No. 17 Will Rowe (OU) dec. Eric Maldonado (CP), 9-7 157: No. 20 Chad Terry (OU) maj. dec. Alex Pavlenko (ASU), 15-7 157: No. 14 Chase Pami (CP) fall No. 16 Chad Terry (OU), 4:43 165: Max Dean (OU) dec. Patrick Pitsch (ASU), 5-2 165: Max Dean (OU) dec. Ryan Williams (CP), 5-4 174: Jeff James (OU) maj. dec. Rick Renzi (ASU), 12-4 174: Jeff James (OU) dec. Mike Williams (CP), 10-4 184: No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (OU) fall No. 14 Brent Chriswell (ASU), 6:01 184: No. 6 Joshua Weitzel (OU) maj. dec. Ernie Varela (CP), 12-0 197: No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU) maj. dec. Thor Moen (ASU), 16-6 197: No. 9 Joel Flaggert (OU) fall Arturo Basulto (CP), 2:28 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Quinton Pruett (ASU), 2-0 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) fall Jim Powers (CP), 5:41

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling

OKLAHOMA 18 OKLAHOMA STATE 15 125: No. 17 Joey Fio (OU) dec. No. 14 Tyler Shinn (OSU), 3-2 133: No. 1 Coleman Scott (OSU) dec. Brian Shelton (OU), 7-2 141: No. 3 Nathan Morgan (OSU) dec. No. 16 Zack Bailey (OU), 5-4 149: No. 17 Will Rowe (OU) dec. Ryan Freeman (OSU), 7-2 157: No. 17 Chad Terry (OU) dec. Neil Erisman (OSU), 4-0 165: No. 5 Jake Dieffenbach (OSU) dec. Max Dean (OU), 7-3 174: No. 8 Brandon Mason (OSU) dec. Chris DeVilbiss (OU), 7-0 184: No. 6 Joshua Weitzel (OU) fall Jack Jensen (OSU), 2:18 197: No. 9 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. Clayton Foster (OSU), 9-6 HWT: No. 8 Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 8-3

THE HOWARD MCCASLAND FIELD HOUSE HOME OF THE SOONER WRESTLING TEAM

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON RECAPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling OU 47 MISSOURI VALLEY 0 OKLAHOMA 30 OU 44 OKLAHOMA CITY 0 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 9 11/15/2007 OU 50 NEOSHO CC 3 11/4/2007 NORMAN, Okla. -- Sooner wrestlers began the season in dominant fashion, winning Sunday NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma scored 30 unanswered points after trailing early to dominate the over Missouri Valley, Oklahoma City and Neosho Community College on the campus of OCU. The North Carolina State Wolfpack by a score of 30-9 in Norman. Sooners won 29 out of 30 matches on the day and outscored opponents 141-3 in team points. The Sooners trailed 9-0 after losing the first three matches of the evening. Taylor Cummings In the opening dual against Missouri Valley, Joey Fio at 125 pounds put OU on the board first by won in a 6-4 decision over Greg Cannon at 125 pounds, followed by 133-pound J.R. Roman fall- recording a 21-6 technical fall over Bill Exline. The Sooners would not look back after the initial ing to Ryan Tice by a 13-10 decision. The Wolfpack extended their lead 9-0 after a 5-0 decision win. Brian Shelton followed with a decision over Jon Garland in the 133-pound match, as did by Joe Caramanica over Zack Bailey at 141 pounds. Zach Bailey with a major decision over Brandon Nice at 141 pounds. Will Rowe at 149 pounds started the Sooner comeback with a dramatic fall over returning ACC The next two Sooners in the lineup scored falls with Will Rowe over Brian Graham at 149 Wrestler of the Year Darrion Caldwell. pounds and Chad Terry over Juan Alvarez at 157 pounds to extend OU’s team score to 24-0. “Will showed his character and got a big fall for us that really turned the tide of the match,” The closest match of the dual paired Max Dean and Chris Jones in the 165-pound bout. Dean head coach Jack Spates said. recorded a 7-6 decision over Jones with the help of a riding time point to end the match. Jeff James then won his match at 174 pounds by a forfeit. The Sooners would not look back, with Chad Terry scoring a 9-2 decision over Ray Ward in the 157-pound match to tie the team score at nine. Max Dean won in dominant fashion over Joshua Weitzel at 184 pounds and Joel Flaggert at 197 pounds both recorded major decisions. Jalil Dozier in a 15-3 major decision at 165 pounds. Jeff James extended the OU lead to 16-9 Heavyweight Nathan Fernandez sealed the shutout with a fall over Travis Ewart to give the by edging Randy Goodman 3-2 at 174 pounds. Joshua Weitzel scored a win at 184 pounds by Sooners a 47-0 win over Missouri Valley. forfeit.

It was another dominant performance in match number two against Oklahoma City, with the Joel Flaggert scored the only technical fall of the night in a 24-8 win over Mark Jahad at 197 Sooners prevailing 44-0 over the Stars. pounds, followed by the final victory by Nathan Fernandez, scoring a 11-6 decision over Bobby Isola in the heavyweight division. The following Sooners recorded major decisions: Fio over Adam Delong 16-5, Bailey over Jeremy Garner 13-1, James over John Wilcox 10-2 and Fernandez over Jeremy Johnson 12-2 in “I feel good about this team,” Spates said. “We are young so we are continuing to learn, but I the heavyweight bout. like the direction we are headed.”

Shelton won his second match of the day in a 9-2 decision over Justin Blumer, as did Rowe Oklahoma wrestlers will next be in action at the Oklahoma Classic, held in Norman at the Lloyd scoring a technical fall over Nik Turner by a score of 22-7. Terry continued with a 2-0 decision Noble Center on Nov. 24. over Brandon Benson.

Dean and Weitzel both recorded falls in their matches against Trevor Adkisson and Mitchell OKLAHOMA 9 Eichenauer, respectively. Two-time All-American Joel Flaggert won his second match of the day in a technical fall over Corey Johnson, 21-6. OKLAHOMA STATE 21 12/2/2007

Sooners continued to impress in the third dual against Neosho Community College to end the NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 21-ranked OU wrestling team could not overcome an early deficit, day. losing to No. 3 Oklahoma State Sunday in Stillwater, 21-9.

Greg Cannon was awarded a win in the first match by forfeit, and John Starzyk put the Sooners Oklahoma recorded three wins on the afternoon against the in-state rival. Junior Will Rowe up 12-0 with a pin at the 2:40 mark over Ian Seaton. was the first Sooner to put points on the board in a 10-4 decision over Quinten Fuentes in the 149-pound bout. Kyle Terry in his first match of the day at 141 pounds won by a medical forfeit to give the Sooners an 18-0 advantage and Matt Sansone was defeated in a decision by Ty Jaquess in the Seniors Joshua Weitzel and Joel Flaggert won back-to-back at 184 and 197 pounds, respec- tively. Weitzel scored a 3-2 decision over Cody Hill after being awarded a riding point at the 149-pound match. Shane Vernon won his only match of the day by a forfeit. conclusion of the third period. Flaggert won in a 12-10 decision over Clayton Foster.

Dean and James followed up with major decisions to put OU up 32-3 over the Black Cats. “There were a couple of bright spots, but overall, I am very disappointed in our showing,” head coach Jack Spates said. “This team works hard and we are going to have to bounce back Josh Hinton, Pat Flynn and Brad Farmer all recorded pins within the first period in the 184, 197 after this difficult loss.” and heavyweight matches to give the Sooners a 50-3 victory in its last match. To start the match, OSU’s Ben Ashmore defeated 125-pound freshman Joey Fio by a 6-0 deci- sion, and Coleman Scott made the team score 6-0 with a win over 133-pound Brian Shelton. Scott won by a narrow margin of 1-0.

Zack Bailey was defeated in the 141-pound match by Nathan Morgan by a 9-4 decision.

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON RECAPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling Rowe’s win in the next bout made the score 9-3, but three straight OSU victories put the match Jeff James was defeated by Matt Stolpinski by a narrow margin or 3-2 at 174 pounds, followed out of reach for the Sooners. up by a commanding victory by Joshua Weitzel with a 14-6 major decision over Parsons. Joel Flaggert recorded a fall in his win over Tyler Moyer at 197 pounds and heavyweight Nathan Newly McSpadden of Oklahoma State won in a 6-1 decision over 157-pound sophomore Chad Fernandez dropped a 4-2 decision in double-overtime to Navy’s Pronderast. Terry, and 165-pound senior Max Dean was defeated by Jake Dieffenbach by a 3-2 decision to make the team score 15-3. It was much of the same story in match two versus Cal-State Fullerton. Oklahoma jumped out early thanks to a dominant 20-4 technical fall recorded by Fio. Shelton then posted a 5-1 deci- Jeff James fell to Brandon Mason 5-0 in the 174-pound battle, followed up by two Sooner sion over TJ Dillashaw and Terry was defeated 10-6 by Astorga. Rowe and Vernon both scored victories by Weitzel and Flaggert. Jared Rosholt then scored a 6-3 decision over Sooner Nathan decisions back-to-back, followed by a major decision by Dean over Tedd Bristll, 10-0. Fernandez in the heavyweight battle to end the dual between the two in-state foes. James, Weitzel and Flaggert recorded decisions in their matches to push the score to 27-3, and Fernandez was defeated in the final match for a final team score of 27-6 against Cal-State OKLAHOMA 27 Fullerton. CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 6 12/7/2007 The night cap pitted the Sooners versus the North Carolina Tarheels, marking the final match for both schools. Oklahoma once again flexed its muscles, taking the victory 27-6.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Central Oklahoma took OU down to the wire in last year’s Fio and Shelton picked up their third wins on the day by positing decisions to open the match, match in Norman on Nov. 29, 2006. The Sooners eventually prevailed only by a small margin, followed by Zack Bailey winning in a decision over Nick Stable, 12-8, to make the team score 9-0. 20-18. Rowe gave the Sooners another boost by posting a fall over Vincent Ramirez, then teammate No. 20 Oklahoma needed no such late heroics Friday night at Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Chad Terry defeated Fiacco to put the match out of reach. Keegan Mueller topped Dean at soundly beating the defending Division II champions, 27-6. 165 pounds, followed up with three decisions by James, Weitzel and Flaggert. Fernandez was defeated by Dobies in the heavyweight division. True freshman Joey Fio put points on the board for the Sooners first with an 11-5 decision over Tyler Zukerman at 125 pounds. Brian Shelton at 133-pounds also scored a 6-1 decision over Trey The Sooners head back to Norman to prepare for a double-dual versus No. 20 Pittsburgh and Branscum to make the team score 6-0. Michigan State next Saturday, Jan. 12. The matches will get underway at 2 p.m. and admission is free to the public. No. 11 Zack Bailey took care of Kyle Evans in the 141-pound bout with an 8-7 decision, and No. 9 Will Rowe won in a 12-5 decision at 149 pounds over Colby Robinson. OU 29 MICHIGAN STATE 7 Shane Vernon was defeated in a 2-1 decision by Jason Leavitt in the 157-pound dual, and No. 13 OU 17 PITTSBURGH 15 1/12/2008 Max Dean posted the only pin of the day over Cody Rowell at 165 pounds. The Sooners lead after the first six matches, 18-3 NORMAN, Okla -- The No. 18 ranked Sooners defeated Michigan State and No. 20 Pittsburgh in a double-dual Saturday afternoon at the Howard McCasland Field House in Norman. Jeff James topped Tommy McCarty at 174 pounds by a 4-1 decision, and No. 9 Joshua Weitzel made the team score 24-3 with a 6-0 decision over Heath Jolley. No. 5 Joel Flaggert won in a 6-1 The Sooners extended their record to 10-1 on the year, the 13th straight season of 10 or more decision over Jarrett Edison at 197 pounds, and heavyweight Nathan Fernandez, ranked No. 18, wins under head coach Jack Spates. was defeated by UCO’s Dustin Finn by a 2-1 decision. OU easily took down the Spartans by a final of 29-7 in the first match, but needed its undefeated The Sooners take a break for the holidays before resuming competition at the Lonestar Duals on senior leaders in Joshua Weitzel and Joel Flaggert to step up late in the second match to prevail, Jan. 5 in Arlington, Texas. 17-15. OU 28 NAVY 7 “I am extremely proud of our guys,” Spates said. “We were taken down to the wire versus Pitts- burgh and our team showed a lot of character, a lot of fight to pick up the win.” OU 27 CAL-STATE FULLERTON 6 In match one versus MSU, 125-pound Joey Fio was quick out of the gate for the Sooners by OU 27 NORTH CAROLINA 6 12/5/2007 recording a 15-6 major decision over Spartan Joel Trombly. Michigan State’s No. 3 ranked Franklin NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma picked up three wins Saturday to push its record to 8-1 on the Gomez evened the match at four with a 9-1 major decision over 133-pound Brian Shelton. season at the 11th Annual Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas. Zack Bailey dominated the 141 pound bout by recording a 17-0 technical fall over MSU’s Micah The No. 19-ranked Sooners looked impressive on the day, crushing No. 21 Navy, Cal-State Ful- Carter. Junior Will Rowe defeated Tim Hammer by a 18-9 major decision at 149 pounds, and Chad lerton and North Carolina. Terry extended the Sooner lead to 16-4 by defeating 157-pound John Fulger in a 7-2 decision.

The Sooners jumped on Navy in the first dual, winning by a wide-margin of 28-6. The Sooners Max Dean then recorded a 15-5 major decision over Rex Kendle in the 165 pound bout. Nick racked up 18 straight points after six decisions to put the match out of reach for the Academy. Palmieri put the Spartans back on the board with a win over 174 pound Jeff James, 4-1.

Joey Fio at 125 pounds, Brian Shelton at 133 pounds, Zack Bailey at 141-pounds, Will Rowe at Weitzel, Flaggert and Nathan Fernandez closed the match with decisions in the 184, 197 and 149 pounds, Chad Terry at 157 pounds and Max Dean at 165 pounds all scored decisions for OU heavyweight bouts to give Oklahoma the victory. to open up competition.

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON RECAPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling Both the Sooners and Pittsburgh struggled to keep a lead in the last dual of the day. OU eventu- ally took advantage of its senior leaders to pick up win number 10 win on the season. OKLAHOMA 15 To begin the dual, Fio was awarded a riding point at the conclusion of the match to edge Boss, WISCONSIN 18 1/20/2008 3-2. Pittsburgh then picked up two victories with Conroy defeating 133-pounder J.R. Roman, 8-3, and Headlee topping Bailey by a final of 2-0. NORMAN, Okla. -- At the conclusion of nine duals the team score was tied at 15, and redshirt freshman Nathan Fernandez was given the opportunity to knock off No. 13-ranked Kyle Massey Rowe, now with a 10-0 dual record, surged the Sooners back into the lead, 7-6, with a dominat- in the heavyweight bout to give Oklahoma the win. ing 11-1 major decision over Ciampoli. Spartan Matt Kocher defeated Terry by a final of 2-1 to regain the team lead, 9-7. As time wound down, Massey proved to be too much for the freshman, defeating Fernandez by a final of 4-2 and giving the Badgers (9-2-1) an 18-15 victory over the Sooners. Dean outlasted Pitt’s Richards by a 3-1 final to take back the lead for Oklahoma, 10-9. OU’s James then fought No. 1 Gavin down to the final period, but fell short by a final of 9-5. The loss halted a seven match win streak for the Sooners, now 11-2 on the season. It was then up to Oklahoma’s dominant tandem in Weitzel and Flaggert to put the Sooners The Badgers opened the match with No. 18 Collin Cudd recording a 7-4 decision over 125-pound ahead for good. Weitzel, blanked Sullivan, 5-0, and Flaggert recorded a 12-2 major decision over Sooner Joey Fio, giving Wisconsin a 3-0 team lead. Fio leads the team with 42 takedowns, but Crowell to give OU a 17-12 edge. Both Sooners own a 10-0 dual record on the season. was only able to score escapes in the loss. OU prevailed in the match 17-15 after heavyweight Fernandez dropped the last bout, 2-0. John Starzyk scored the opening takedown in the 133 pound bout but was unable to sustain the lead. Badger Zach Tanelli, ranked 12th, took control at the conclusion of the first period by OKLAHOMA 21 posting a reversal and nearfall in the 10-5 decision.

UT-ChaTTANOOGA 13 1/18/2008 No. 8-ranked Kyle Ruschell then made the score 9-0 in favor of the Badgers after recording a 1-3 decision over No. 11 Zack Bailey at 141 pounds. No. 9 Will Rowe posted OU’s first points of the evening in the 141 pound match, scoring eight takedowns in a 19-6 major decision. The win NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 17 Oklahoma topped No. 19 UT-Chattanooga (5-5) Friday night at the brought the Sooners within five, 9-4. Howard McCasland Field House in Norman by a final of 21-13, knocking off its second straight Top 20 opponent. UW’s No. 2-ranked Craig Henning then blanked 157-pound Chad Terry, winning by a final of 4-0 to extend the Badger lead to 12-4. The Sooners have now won seven straight duals on the season and own an 11-1 record. OU extended the streak in front of special guests Steve “Dr. Death” Williams and WWE icon . Sooner sophomore Shane Vernon, filling in for the injured Max Dean, scored a reversal with 16 seconds left to defeat Jake Donar by an 8-7 decision at 165 pounds to bring OU within five, 12-7. Oklahoma, who beat No. 20 Pittsburgh last Saturday, gained an 8-0 lead out of the gate thanks to dominant performances by freshman in the two opening weights classes. Jeff James won OU’s second straight match after dominating 174-pound Justin Peterson by a Joey Fio put OU on the board first after beating No. 9 ranked Javier Maldonado by a 16-4 major 10-1 major decision to make it a 12-11 match in favor of UW. decision. Johnny Starzyk took down the second ranked Moc opponent of the night, recording a For the third straight dual, the Sooners looked to their undefeated seniors to put them in the Cody Cleveland put UTC’s first points on the board with a major decision over 141-pound Sooner lead. Zack Bailey to make the team score 8-4. No. 20 Joey Knox defeated Will Rowe at 149 pounds to get the Mocs within one, 8-7. Joshua Weitzel did just that, scoring a major decision over No. 14 Trevor Brandvold and giving the OU its first lead of the evening, 15-12. Weitzel’s nearfall to end the match gave him an 11-2 OU’s 157-pound Chad Terry broke the Chattanooga run by posting an 8-1 decision over No. 20 win and marked his 19th victory on the season at 184 pounds. Seth Garvin. Nick Davis took down 165-pound Sooner Max Dean to get the Mocs back to a one point deficit. The anticipated 197-pound matchup between No. 3 Joel Flaggert and No. 6 Dallas Herbst did not disappoint, as the two wrestlers were forced to overtime. UW’s Herbst scored a reversal in the No. 14 Lloyd Rogers won in a 6-4 decision over Jeff James in the 174-pound weight class to give period to seal the match-victory for the Badgers, tying the team score at 15. UTC its first team lead of the evening, 11-13.

For the second straight match, the Sooners squad looked to their undefeated seniors to put OKLAHOMA 3 them in the lead for good. Once again, Joshua Weitzel (18-0) and Joel Flaggert (17-0) did not disappoint. IOWA STATE 31 1/25/2008

Weitzel blanked Josh Edmondson by a 13-0 major decision to put the Sooners back on top, 15- NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 18 Oklahoma proved to be no match for No. 9 Iowa State (12-3, 1-0 in Big 13. Flaggert extended the lead by recording a 5-2 decision over No. 14 Matt Koz. 12) Friday evening in Norman, as the Cyclones defeated the Sooners by a 31-3 final tally.

Heavyweight Nathan Fernandez then defeated Matt Lettner by a 3-1 decision to close the No. 5 Joel Flaggert gave Oklahoma (11-3, 0-2 in Big 12) its only points on the evening in the 197 match, giving the Sooners a 21-13 victory. bout with a decision over No. 20 David Zabriskie. Flaggert scored the only point in the third period by an escape to take the 3-2 win.

Iowa State’s No. 17-ranked Tyler Clark began the match posting four points by defeating 125 pound Joey Fio by a 9-0 major decision. No. 7 Nick Fanthorpe then recorded a fall at 133 pounds versus Sooner John Starzyk to make the team score 10-0.

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON RECAPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling

Two upsets followed, starting with No. 20 Nick Gallick over No. 14 Zack Bailey of Oklahoma by The Sun Devils opened the match at 125 pounds with No. 14 Anthony Robles recording a fall a 10-3 decision in the 133 pound bout. No. 9 Will Rowe was then topped by 149 pound Mitch over Joey Fio in the first period, giving ASU a 6-0 advantage. Mueller by a 5-2 decision to make it a 16-0 Cyclone advantage. Todd Schavrien extended Arizona State’s lead to 9-0 by posting a 7-2 decision over 133 pound Chad Terry, ranked for the first week at No. 20, was then defeated by No. 6 Cyler Sanderson of J.R. Roman. The victory would be ASU’s last of the evening. ISU at 157 pounds by a 8-3 decision.

Three periods was not enough in the 165 pound bout, as Sooner Max Dean and ISU’s Jon Reader OKLAHOMA 10 were forced to overtime. Reader scored a takedown during the sudden death period to record the win, 9-7. Aron Scott made it a 25-0 Iowa State lead by scoring a 3-1 decision over 174 MISSOURI 23 2/8/2008 pound Jeff James.

The highly anticipated matchup of the evening also went the Cyclone’s way, with No. 1 Jake COLUMBIA, Mo. - The No. 12 ranked denied No. 18 Oklahoma of its first Big 12 Varner giving senior Joshua Weitzel his first loss of the season by a 5-1 decision. victory of the season Friday night at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo., winning by a 23-10 final tally. After Flaggert’s win, Nathan Fernandez took No. 5 David Zabriskie down to the final period. Zabriskie eventually scored a takedown with 13 seconds to go in the final period to win the Despite impressive performances from OU’s freshman and a 7-3 lead after three matches, match, 6-5. Oklahoma (12-4, 0-3 in the Big 12) was unable to stop MU (8-3-1, 2-1 in Big 12) from rallying, cutting off Oklahoma’s bid for victory. The Sooners step out of conference for their next match against Arizona State next Friday, Feb. 1, at the Howard McCasland Field House in Norman. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Joey Fio at 125 pounds came into the dual riding a three-match losing streak, but jumped back into the win column with a 11-2 major decision over John Olanowski. Fio scored three and admission is free to the public. takedowns, a reversal and a nearfall to take the victory. The true freshman stands third on the team with a total of 46 takedowns on the season and picked up his 16th overall win and his first OKLAHOMA 31 Big 12 victory of his young Sooner career.

ARIZONA STATE 9 2/1/2008 Tyler McCormick quickly put the Tigers on the board at 133 pound by blanking OU’s Brian Shel- ton in a 6-0 decision. Shelton, who has sat out the last five matches due to a hip injury, returned NORMAN, Okla. - In the previous two weeks Oklahoma was unable to recover from early deficits but was unable to get anything going offensively in the loss. in the losses to then-No. 13 Wisconsin and No. 9 Iowa State. With the team score in OU’s favor at 4-3, freshman Zack Bailey recorded a 3-1 decision over Tonight, the No. 17 Sooners (12-3, 0-2 in Big 12) found themselves in a similar position, falling Marcus Hoehn at 141 pounds to extend the Sooner lead back to four. Bailey scored all three behind 9-0 after the opening two matches. points in the final two minutes after being down 1-0 after two periods to notch his team lead- ing 25th victory of the season. He was the second Sooner of the night to pick up his first career But unlike the last two defeats, Oklahoma stormed back by posting 31 unanswered points, Big 12 victory. whipping Arizona State (9-5) by a 31-9 final on alumni night at the Howard McCasland House in Norman. The momentum quickly swayed back into the Tigers favor with an upset at 149 pounds. No. 15 Josh Wagner took the win over OU’s No. 13 Will Rowe by a 10-6 decision to tie the Sooners, 6-6, Filling in for the injured 141 pound Zack Bailey, Nolan Spring used an escape and a riding time as a team point was taken away after an unsportsmanlike penalty was called on the OU bench. point in the third period to edge Chris Drouin, 6-4. The win would spark the Sooners to eight The loss gave Rowe just his third in dual competition this season (12-3). straight victories. No. 14 Michael Chandler then took control of his bout versus Shane Vernon of Oklahoma in No. 13 Will Rowe was the next Sooner to record a win at 149 pounds, posting a 14-4 major deci- dominant fashion, scoring a technical fall over the Tulsa native, 18-1. Chandler posted nine sion over Jerrad Trulson. The victory put Oklahoma within two points, 9-7. points in the third period and the win propelled the Tigers into the lead, 11-6.

Chad Terry, ranked 20th, put OU on top for the first time on the evening, 11-9, with a command- The Tigers extended the lead once again with No. 2 Nicholas Marable topping No. 20 Max Dean ing 15-7 major decision over Alex Pavlenko at 157 pounds. Terry scored six takedowns and a by a 5-2 decision at 165 pounds. Marable scored three points in the final 44 seconds to break reversal in the win. away from Dean.

Max Dean then used two takedowns to record a 5-2 decision over Patrick Pitsch at 165 pounds, The Sooners looked to redshirt freshman Jeff James to stop the bleeding. James delivered in and Jeff James took the victory at 174 pounds with a 12-4 major decision over Rick Renzi. convincing fashion, posting a 12-4 major decision in the 174 pound bout to pick up four team points, closing the OU deficit to 14-10. In route to getting his first career conference victory, No. 7 Joshua Weitzel, coming off his lone defeat of the season last week versus Iowa State, James recorded four takedowns and reached 10 wins in dual competition this season (10-6). pinned No. 14 Brent Chriswell to give the Sooners a 24-9 team lead. The fall gave Weitzel his fifth of the season. Two showdowns among the nation’s elite were next up, with the first at 184 pounds as No. 6 Joshua Weitzel for the Sooners met No. 4 Raymond Jordan. After three periods Weitzel was only No. 5 Joel Flaggert then scored a 16-6 major decision over Thor Moen with six takedowns and able to garner two escapes, losing a 5-2 decision to Jordan. a nearfall at 197 pounds, and Nathan Fernandez broke a two match losing skid to win a 2-0 decision at heavyweight over Quinton Pruett. It was a pair of No. 5 ranked wrestlers who met at 197 pounds, and it was Missouri who again came out on top and put the match out of reach for the Sooners. MU’s Maxwell Askren handed Joel Flaggert the loss in a 3-0 decision and the Tigers went up 20-10 in the match.

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON RECAPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling The defeats gave Weitzel (20-2) and Flaggert (19-2) just their second losses on the season. OKLAHOMA 32 Sooner heavyweight Nathan Fernandez was then able to only score two escapes in a loss to No. 11 Mark Ellis, 6-2, to end the match between the two Big 12 foes. CAL POLY 9 2/10/2008

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma rebounded strong after two tough Big 12 losses last weekend OKLAHOMA 9 with a win over Cal Poly (5-7) Friday night, 32-9. 2/10/2008 NEBRASKA 21 Greg Cannon opened up the event with a 7-0 decision win for the Sooners at 125 pounds over Micah Ferguson. Cannon, filling in for the injured No. 17 Joey Fio, recorded a takedown in the NORMAN, Okla. - The No. 18 (12-5, 0-4 in Big 12) got to within three points, first period and a nearfall in the third to post the victory. 12-9, after a huge upset at 125 pounds, but was unable to rally on No. 2 Nebraska (12-3, 3-0 in Big 12) in Lincoln on Sunday, losing 21-9. A takedown with two seconds to go in the 133 pound match gave OU’s Brian Shelton a major decision win, 13-5, to put the Sooners up seven. He scored a total of four takedowns and a OU’s true-freshman Joey Fio upset No. 4 ranked defending national champion Paul Donahoe of nearfall in the win over Boris Novachkov, marking his seventh victory on the season. NU at 125 pounds to give the Sooners hope for an upset victory. Oklahoma was unable to capital- ize, falling short in the final three bouts. Zack Bailey then fell short at 141 pounds, losing to the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country, Chad Mendes. Mendes picked up his 22nd victory on the season (22-0) with the 9-2 win, bring- ing the Mustangs back to within four team points, 7-3. The dual between the Big 12 foes began at 157 pounds, and Sooner Chad Terry put OU on the board first by defeating No. 16 Chris Oliver, 6-1. No. 20 Terry recorded two takedowns and four An overtime victory by No. 17 Will Rowe at 149 pounds made it a 10-3 Sooner lead. With the points in the final period to take the win. match tied at seven after three, Rowe scored a takedown in the sudden death period to garner his 20th win on the season. No. 20 Max Dean then took No. 10 Stephen Dwyer down to the final period at 165 pounds but was unable to get the win, dropping the bout 8-6 and tying the team score at three. J Cal Poly closed within one point, 10-9, after a fall was recorded by No. 14 Chase Pami at 157 pounds over No. 16 Chad Terry. Max Dean at 165 pounds quickly put Oklahoma back on track, eff James, coming off his first Big 12 victory of his career on Friday against Missouri, took No. 5 winning in a 5-4 decision over Ryan Williams. Leading 5-3 to begin the third, Dean only gave Brandon Browne down until the final seconds at 174 pounds. Browne used a takedown at 19 up an escape in the final period to take the win. seconds to gain a 5-4 edge in the match to seal the victory and give the Huskers a 6-3 team lead. Jeff James extended the Sooner lead to 16-9 with a 10-4 decision over Mike Williams at 174 Oklahoma’s 184-pounder Joshua Weitzel quickly tied the team score with a win over No. 9 Vince pounds. The El Reno, Okla., native scored two takedowns and a nearfall in the win. Joshua Jones. Weitzel posted three takedowns and only gave up a reversal in the first period to record a Weitzel then blanked Ernie Varela in the 184 pound match, 12-0. 7-2 decision. He is now 2-1 in Big 12 duals on the season and 21-2 overall. Weitzel recorded a takedown and an escape and used three penalty points by Varela to get the No. 10 Craig Brester regained the lead for NU at 9-6 with a 6-1 decision over 197 pound Joel Flag- major decision victory. gert, ranked No. 5. Flaggert took the lead 1-0 by garnering an escape point in the second period after a scoreless first. Brester then took control by scoring six unanswered points, including riding Oklahoma made it a rout after the final two bouts, scoring two falls to win, 32-9. Joel Flaggert time, to end the bout. only needed the first period to record his second fall of the year over Arturo Basulto in the 197 pound match. The senior from Choctaw led 4-1 after two takedowns before the pin, picking up Nebraska extended the team lead to 12-6 when heavyweight Jon May, ranked 20th, bested OU’s his 20th on the season. Nathan Fernandez by a 6-3 decision. Fernandez was only able to score escapes in the loss.

The match then returned back to the light weights, pitting Fio against the defending national OKLAHOMA 18 champion Donahoe. Fio, also coming off of his first career Big 12 victory Friday versus MU, refused OKLAHOMA STATE 15 2/21/2008 to be intimidated and posted the upset with a 6-5 decision over Donahoe. Fio trailed 4-3 headed into the final period, but scored a takedown and an escape to record his biggest career win as a freshman. NORMAN, Okla. - For the first time since 1995, the Oklahoma Sooners are Bedlam champs.

No. 13 Brian Shelton at 133 pounds was unable to keep the Sooner rally going, losing to No. 8 In front of the largest crowd to view a wrestling match in Norman this season (1,734), No. Kenny Jordan by an 11-4 final decision. The win gave the Huskers a 15-9 advantage in the match 17 Oklahoma (13-5) upended the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys (16-3-1) at the Howard headed into the final two bouts of the afternoon. McCasland Field House by an 18-15 final. The upset snapped a streak of 19 straight victories by the Cowboys. Nebraska ended the Big 12 matchup winning the final two, with Mike Rowe defeating No. 15 Zack Bailey by an 11-4 decision and No. 7 Jordan Burroughs topping No. 13 Will Rowe by a 5-3 The dual between the in-state rivals began at 184 pounds after Oklahoma State decided to final. draw instead of the traditional start at 125 pounds. The opening bout could not have started better for the Sooners, as No. 6 Joshua Weitzel put six on the board with a pin over Jack Jensen. The senior needed only the first period to record the fall at 2:18.

Two-time All-American Joel Flaggert, ranked ninth nationally, then posted a decision over Clay- ton Foster at 197 pounds. After dominating the first two periods and leading 7-2, the Choctaw, Okla., native scored two escapes in the third for a 9-6 final.

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON RECAPS 2007-08 sooner wrestling

Oklahoma State bounced back after the two wins by Oklahoma seniors, as No. 8 Jared Rosholt won in an 8-3 decision over Nathan Fernandez at heavyweight. After a scoreless first, Rosholt recorded three takedowns in final two periods to take the victory and inching Oklahoma State back to within six, 9-3.

No. 17 Joey Fio continued his recent success with a 3-2 upset decision over No. 14 Tyler Shinn of OSU at 125 pounds. The true-freshman, who was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week on Feb. 11, was tied with Shinn after two periods, 2-2. After choosing down, Fio managed an escape at 1:50 and held on for the 3-2 decision.

It was No. 1 Coleman Scott for the Cowboys who then took control of the 133 pound bout with a 7-2 decision over Oklahoma’s Brian Shelton. Scott used two takedowns in the first to distance himself, narrowing the OU lead to 12-6.

Nathan Morgan, ranked third nationally, posted another Oklahoma State win at 141 pounds with a 5-4 decision over No. 16 Zack Bailey. After a tie to begin the third, Morgan recorded a takedown and an escape to post the victory.

No. 17 Will Rowe stopped OSU’s momentum with a 7-2 decision over Ryan Freeman. The 149 pound match was close after two, with Rowe hanging on to a 3-2 advantage. The junior from Arlington, Texas, scored an escape, a takedown and a riding time point in the third to record the win, pushing the Sooner lead back to six, 15-9.

An important match at 157 pounds pitted Oklahoma’s No. 17 Chad Terry against Neil Erisman. After a scoreless first, Terry scored an escape and a takedown in the second to go up 3-0. After Erisman chose the down position to begin the third, Terry rode him out without giving up an escape to win 4-0 with the help of a riding time point.

With the lead of 18-9, the Sooners simply needed to hang on to post the Big 12 upset over their arch-rival. No. 5 Jake Dieffenbach made the team score 18-12 after posting a victory at 165 pounds over senior Max Dean. The Cowboy recorded three takedowns and Dean was only able to manage escapes in the 7-3 loss. No bonus points were awarded with the decision, so Oklahoma State could only manage a tie in the match.

It would take a pin at 174 pounds for Oklahoma State to tie the Sooners at 18. An unfamiliar face was wrestling for OU because of year-long starter Jeff James out for the year due to injury. It was up to the junior Chris DeVilbiss with a 7-2 record on the year to be the hero for Oklahoma and fend off OSU.

DeVilbiss came through for the Sooners, keeping No. 8 Brandon Mason from recording the fall. Mason won 7-0, but the defeat was lost on the Oklahoma team, realizing the huge upset-win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

“This is a huge, huge win,” Spates said. “All of the cheers, all of the hugs--I couldn’t be prouder.”

MARCH 8 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Bailey or Terry: Spates has tough call at 141

The Oklahoman Nov. 2, 2007 Matt Patterson

NORMAN, Okla. - Of all the decisions University of Oklahoma wrestling coach Jack Spates has to make, the starter at 141 pounds might be the toughest. The Sooners held their Red-White ranking matches at McCasland Fieldhouse on Thursday night, with the White winning, 18-12. At 141, redshirt freshman Zach Bailey edged sophomore Kyle Terry, 6-5. Terry, a sophomore from Carl Albert, went 18-12 last season. Bailey, a four-time Missouri state champion, won the Oklahoma Open last year, only to see his season end in OU’s first dual because of a shoulder surgery.

“What a great bout,” Spates said. “Kyle Terry is an All-American candidate, and a Zach is a freshman with so much potential. They’ll keep battling, and hopefully push each other on to greatness.”

Bailey is glad to be in the running for a starting job after his third injury to his left shoulder. He wrestled well at an open tournament in St. Louis last weekend, but he is still testing his shoulder.

“It’s really nerve wracking,” Bailey said of the injury. “I know it’s not 100 percent, so I have to make sure to do the right things and put it in the right positions so I don’t hurt it again. But it feels good. I’m getting more confident with it.”

UCO wrestles: Central Oklahoma wrestled alongside OU, holding its second ranking match of the preseason. Coach David James said the defending NCAA Division II champion used the trip to Norman as a change of scenery. “I think the biggest thing for us is getting in another environment and competing,” James said. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Sooner wrestlers score sweep

The Oklahoman Nov. 5, 2007 Matt Patterson

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling team opened its season Sunday with three duals, against Missouri Valley, Neosho County (Kan.) and Oklahoma City at Abe Lemons Arena. The featured dual between OU and OCU was a 44-0 win for the Sooners , who swept all 10 weight classes. OU defeated Missouri Valley 47-0 and beat Neosho 50-3.

Against OCU, the Sooners ‘ Will Rowe picked up a technical fall over Nik Turner at 149 pounds. At 165, Max Dean pinned Trevor Adkisson at 2:52, and 184 pound Josh Weitzel pinned OCU’s Mitchell Eichenauer at 2:26. Joel Flaggert picked up a technical fall over Corey Johnson.

For OU, Sunday’s duals were about getting out of the wrestling room and facing different competition. The Sooners are starting sev- eral freshman and sophomores who need time on the mat.

“This is very good for us,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “When you look at it, we have a freshman at 125, a true sophomore at 133, a freshman at 157 and a freshman at 174. This gives them some experience. We saw much better aggressiveness than we saw at our ranking match.”

Weitzel, a senior transfer from Michigan, was impressive against Eichenauer, one of OCU’s best wrestlers. OU freshman Joey Fio earned a major decision over Adam Delong, a two-time Oklahoma state champion. Spates was pleased with OU’s two technical falls and two pins.

“That’s one of the things we work on,” he said. “Want to get pins. Today showed us where we’ve improved and also what we need to work on.”

OCU begins the season ranked No. 10 in the NAIA. The Stars upset No. 3-ranked Missouri Valley 25-16 and also beat Neosho, 37-6. For the Stars, in just their second year of competition since the 1930s, wrestling OU is a prime opportunity.

“We wrestled them harder than we did last year,” coach Archie Randall said.

“There were a couple of close matches. Our kids need to wrestle a little better. But it was a nice day for us. Knocking off Missouri Valley was big.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Sooners looking for turnaround

Tulsa World Nov. 11, 2007 MATT DOYLE

NORMAN, Okla. -- Flaggert’s capable of winning the national title. Oklahoma ‘s wrestling program took a dip last season. Injuries hindered the Sooners throughout the season, and a flu-bug late in the season affected two of OU’s top wrestlers.

The Sooners placed fifth in the five-team Big 12 Championship and recorded a tie for 22nd place at the NCAA Championship. OU’s NCAA showing was its worst this decade.

Preseason prognostications indicate the Sooners will be down again this year. The NWCA coaches preseason poll lists OU 19th and fifth among the Big 12 programs.

OU coach Jack Spates cannot change the past. He is only concerned about the present and immediate future.

While some say OU does not have that special national champion-caliber wrestler, Spates scoffs and states senior 197-pounder Joel Flaggert is capable of reaching the top step of the national championship medal stand in March.

While some say OU is a distant fifth to its conference brethren Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Missouri, and Nebraska, Spates says there never has been more balance in the league.

While some say OU is down, Spates counters by saying don’t count his team out.

“Part of the reason we’re ranked low is because we had a disappointing season last year,” Spates said. “People look and see how young we are and think we’re not going to be that good. But I think we’ll surprise them.”

The Sooners ‘ fortunes and success will depend on progress throughout the season, Spates said. The OU coach, though, likes the makeup of this team.

Flaggert graduated last May, but had an extra year of wrestling eligibility to use. The senior from Choctaw, along with 184-pounder Josh Weitzel, were affected by the late-season flu bug. Flaggert struggled through the Big 12 tournament to place third. But Flaggert was sapped at the NCAA meet and suffered an early elimination.

Flaggert has higher expectations this year.

“I want to be in the finals at the NCAA’s. I want to get through Big 12’s and make nationals,” he said. “The ultimate goal at the end of the year is to be on that champion’s stage.”

Weitzel and junior 149-pounder Will Rowe are returning veterans and were appointed the team’s co-captains. It is the first time in Spates’ 15-year tenure he named team captains.

OU likely will start six freshmen or sophomores in its 10-man lineup. It is a reason why Spates decided to have captains to help foster team unity.

“That is very important,” Spates said. “They (Weitzel and Rowe) are committed to developing it.”

WRESTLERS TO WATCH

Joel Flaggert:

The senior 197-pounder suffered a major case of the flu days before the Big 12 Championships and ithindered his performances at both the Big 12 and NCAA championships. Flaggert battled to place third at the Big 12 to advance to the NCAA, where he went 1-2. Has placed fourth and fifth at the NCAA in 2005 and 2006. Enters this year ranked fourth at 197. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Youth movement

The Norman Transcript Nov. 17, 2008 Scott Moore

NORMAN, Okla. -- During morning workouts one day, Oklahoma’s lighter wrestlers weren’t pushing themselves as hard they needed to. Assistant coach Robbie Waller made them run some more.

The middle weights decided to join them, then challenged the heavier weights to do the same. Soon, everyone was running extra.

“We just have some real good workouts,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “There’s a lot of teamwork in the room.”

Lots of teams display teamwork, but it’s especially important for these Sooners. This is one of Spates’ youngest teams. When OU hits the mat at 7 p.m., tonight to host North Carolina State at Howard McCasland the lineup will include one true freshman, three redshirt freshmen and two sophomores. That’s over half the bouts.

“We have a young team, but we have a very aggressive team,” Spates said. “We’re really excited about the potential.”

The Sooners signed an unusually large class of 10 wrestlers in the offseason. And it proved to be a quality class as several challenged for starting spots.

Joey Fio, of Sandpoint, Idaho, takes over for four-time All-American Sam Hazewinkel at 125. Redshirt freshman Zach Bailey beat out returning starter Kyle Terry at 141 and redshirt freshman Nathan Fernandez beat out returning starter Brad Farmer at heavy- weight.

Redshirt freshman Jeff James will start at 174.

“Fio is tough and he comes to wrestle,” Spates said. “Bailey is explosive and he’s the best lifter I’ve ever seen. He’s the quickest athlete I’ve ever had and that includes Teyon Ware and Michael Lightner.

“Jeff is a two-time state champion from El Reno and is ferocious. Brad has been wrestling as well as he ever has, but Nathan Fernan- dez has beaten him out twice.”

The rest of the lineup includes sophomore Brian Shelton at 133, junior Will Rowe at 149, sophomore Chad Terry at 157, senior Max Dean at 165, senior Josh Weitzel at 184 and senior Joel Flaggert at 197.

Rowe, Flaggert, Weitzel and Kyle Terry are returning national qualifiers. Flaggert is ranked No. 9, while Rowe is ranked No. 12, Weitzel is ranked No. 15 and Bailey is 16th.

Dean is ranked 14th. He’s a transfer from Indiana where he was a two-time national qualifier.

N. C. State is the defending Atlantic Coast Conference Champs. The marquee matches should be Taylor Cummins vs. Fio at 125, No. 10 Darrion Caldwell vs. Rowe at 141 and No. 14 Ryan Goodman vs. Weitzel at 184.

“Right out of the gate we’re going to be tested at 125,” Spates said. “At 149, that should be one of the more exciting matches. This (dual) is going to be a tough challenge for us.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING OU’s Terry prepared

The Oklahoman Nov. 25, 2007 Matt Patterson

NORMAN, Okla. -- OU’s Kyle Terry (141) was a national qualifier last season, but he lost his starting job to four-time Missouri state champion Zack Bailey in the Sooners ‘ ranking matches earlier this month. Terry won his 141-pound title 8-3 on Saturday night. He is staying prepared in case he’s needed. “You never know when something is going to happen and you’re going to be called on,” he said. “You have to be ready for that shot.”

OCU improves: The Stars had seven fourth-place finishers, including 184-pound Mitchell Eichenauer, who beat Oklahoma State’s Chris McNeil in the quarterfinals. Eichenauer and McNeil both wrestled at Lawton MacArthur.

“We wrestled much better than we did last year,” OCU coach Archie Randall said. “We would have liked to have done a little better, but as long as we’re improving, that’s what’s important.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

OU, OSU gear up for dual

Tulsa World Dec. 2, 2007 MATT DOYLE

Bedlam face-off is set for 2 p.m. today in Stillwater.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State agree that the Bedlam wrestling matches are different than any other duals.

OU junior 149-pounder Will Rowe recalls drawing the ire of OSU fans two years ago after winning his match. Rowe turned to the OSU band and placed his finger over his lips to shush the band.

“There’s nothing like Bedlam when it’s in Gallagher-Iba Arena,” Rowe said. “I know the OSU fans are pretty ruthless on us up there.”

OSU coach John Smith vividly remembers holding off OU’s Mark Zimmer late to win his initial Bedlam match 24 years ago.

On Sunday afternoon, Smith will send five first-time Bedlam competitors to the Gallagher-Iba Arena mat against the Sooners . Smith said some think they know what to expect, but will not fully grasp it until they experience it Sunday.

Smith’s 184-pounder, Cody Hill, has a good idea about what awaits. The redshirt freshman from Marlow watched several Bedlam matches as a youngster. Hill always focused in on his idol, Marlow native and former OU standout Michael Lightner.

Hill still remembers a Bedlam match in the late ‘90s where Lightner lost to OSU’s Jamill Kelly and gave OSU the dual win. He was in Iowa City, Iowa, for the 2001 NCAA Tournament when Lightner beat Iowa’s Doug Schwab for the championship.

Lightner is a club wrestler based in Norman and helps with the OU program. The former Sooner will be in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday.

“Its going to be a little different looking at him as an enemy instead of a friend,” Hill said about Lightner. “It’ll be fun though, espe- cially the atmosphere.”

Hill grew up an OU fan, but switched allegiances when Marlow started attending OSU’s team camps and his older brother Trey went to school in Stillwater. The two-time state champ at Marlow still was willing to consider OU.

But the Sooners , according to Hill, never strongly recruited him.

Hill said that does not bother him. The redshirt freshman is making his mark with the Cowboys.

Hill brings an 8-0 record into Sunday’s match against OU’s Josh Weitzel, who is 9-0. Weitzel is ranked 11th, according to Amateur Wrestling News. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Cowboys host Sooners - 1st round of Bedlam - Wrestlers getting a taste of state rivalry

The Oklahoman Dec. 2, 2007 Matt Patterson, Staff Writer

STILLWATER - Marlow native Cody Hill grew up an Oklahoma fan, but the freshman will make his Bedlam debut for Oklahoma State. The 184-pound Hill (9-0) is part of a youth movement for both teams. As many as eight wrestlers get their first taste of Bedlam today when No. 3-ranked OSU hosts No. 21 OU at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Hill’s OU roots ran deep. He went to OU camps, and his eighth-grade English teacher was the mother of former Sooner Michael Lightner. Hill was present and wore a “Lightner Strikes” T-shirt when Lightner won a national championship in 2001. All of that changed after a trip to OSU camp.

“My high school coach said we were coming up here and I threw a fit,” Hill said. “I didn’t want to come, but I got up here and after that I was an OSU fan.”

Hill has made the most of his time in Stillwater. The redshirt freshman earned a starting job in the preseason and is off to a hot start. Hill is a high-energy wrestler who can become animated during practices and score points in matches. He has four major decisions, two falls and two tech falls so far.

“You like to see those kinds of kids go out and pick up points,” OSU coach John Smith said. “It’s a good sign that he’s not saying he’ll settle for a win. It’s something positive.”

The summer laid the foundation for his success. He wrestled just 15 matches last year, but knew he might have a bigger role down the road. He spent five weeks traveling to open tournaments.

“I didn’t do anything last year,” Hill said. “I saw this summer as an opportunity to get better, and I strived for what I wanted to achieve.”

Hill will join freshman teammates Ben Ashmore (125) and Clayton Foster (197) as Bedlam newbies. For OU, Zach Bailey (141) and Nathan Fernandez (HWT) are among those debuting.

No. 21 OU (4-0) at No. 3 OSU (4-0)

When: 2 p.m. today

Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena

TV: Cox Channel 7

Radio: 93.7 FM in Stillwater

Series history: OSU leads 123-24-9 and is 66-12-2 against OU in Stillwater. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING No. 3 Oklahoma State 21, No. 21 Oklahoma 9 - Dieffenbach’s debut is a dandy - Senior transfer’s upset of Dean helps Cowboys roll past Sooners

The Oklahoman Dec. 3, 2007 Matt Patterson

STILLWATER - Jake Dieffenbach knows all about taking the path less traveled. The 165-pound senior was a two-time NAIA na- tional champion and a graduate of Lindenwood University. But when he finished his bachelor’s degree, he had one season of eligibility left and didn’t want to give up wrestling . Dieffenbach began a one-man letter-writing campaign to programs across the country. Only one coach responded: John Smith.

Dieffenbach made his Bedlam debut in front of 4,144 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena Sunday. He upset No. 16-ranked Max Dean of OU 3-2 and helped the No. 2-ranked Cowboys to a 21-9 dual win. OSU now leads the series 124-24-9.

Standing on the orange mat before locking horns with Dean, Dieffenbach knew he was a long way from Lindenwood.

“I was so nervous I had to get the nerves out of me, first match in a big arena,” he said. “But once I’ve gotten through something like this I think I’ll be a lot better by next time.”

Truth is, Dieffenbach is pretty good already. OSU (5-0) rarely accepts senior transfers, and when they do, they’re most likely con- demned to practice fodder. But the fifth year senior, who also spent a year at Missouri, is making his mark. Dean is a three-time NCAA qualifier. Victory was no picnic.

“It was a good win for him,” OSU coach John Smith said. “Make no mistake, the OU wrestler transferred from Indiana and won three matches and lost two in the NCAA championships. It was against a quality opponent, too.”

OU (4-1) coach Jack Spates knew Dean would have his hands full.

“We knew it would be a tough match,” Spates said. “We have a lot of respect for Jake. He’s dangerous as all get out.”

Dieffenbach, who is working on a master’s degree in international business, is still taking it in. The three-time NAIA All-American knows his path to Stillwater is an unlikely story.

“I was just thinking the other day I’ve had three different high school coaches and this is my third college coach,” he said. “I’ve been around a lot, but this is wrestling at its best. It’s a unique experience.”

OSU picked up wins from Ben Ashmore (125), Coleman Scott (133) and Nathan Morgan (141) to start the dual. OU’s Will Rowe (149) got the Sooners on the board with a 10-4 win over Quinten Fuentes. True freshman Clayton Foster (197) nearly upset OU’s Joel Flaggert, scoring a flurry of points in the third before losing 12-10 to the No. 9 ranked Flaggert.

“I thought we did a little bit of the minimum in the first periods,” Smith said. “The one thing positive I can take out of this particular meet, other than winning, was when it was time to get an important take down, we got it.”

Scott, ranked No. 2 and a three-time All-American, continues to struggle. He beat Brian Shelton 1-0, but had beaten him three times before all by major decisions. Smith said Scott’s knee injury isn’t a factor.

“I think it’s more about not wanting to make a mistake,” Smith said. “He has to do certain things to be effective and Coleman chose to sit with him.”

OU’s Josh Weitzel (184) handed freshman Cody Hill a 3-2 loss on riding time, Hill’s first of the season. OU freshman heavyweight Nathan Fernandez lost a 6-3 decision to No. 10 ranked Jared Rosholt, but wrestled well. Otherwise the highlights were sparse for the Sooners .

“It wasn’t a real exciting meet,” Spates said. “It’s not what Bedlam should be. We’ll have to bear responsibility for that.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING OU’s Flaggert sets championship goal to redeem last season’s disappointment

The Oklahoman Dec. 7, 2007 Matt Patterson

NORMAN - With human relations degree requirements met last spring, Oklahoma senior Joel Flaggert could have easily left the wrestling room and moved into the real world. But the Choctaw native and 2003 high school state champion didn’t want his wrestling career to end with a disappointing finish to his 2006-07 season.The 197-pound Flaggert qualified for the NCAA championships and finished 28-3 for the 2006-2007 season but failed to place.

“That’s one reason I came back, to redeem myself,” Flaggert said. “That hurt bad, and it drives me.”

Flaggert’s mettle was tested Sunday at Bedlam, when the senior was taken to the brink by Oklahoma State true freshman Clayton Foster, who was considered a year ago as the nation’s top high school recruit. Flaggert won 12-10, but the match highlights how com- petitive he’ll need to be to go far in the NCAA’s. Flaggert has the skills to do it.

“I think people have downplayed how good he is because he didn’t place last year,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “He lost in overtime to the kid who lost in overtime in the finals. I think his heart was set on winning that championship.”

Flaggert is ranked No. 9, which means there are plenty of wrestlers standing in the way of redemption. That was the case in first grade, when he took on his older brothers and lost.

“I was horrible when I was little,” Flaggert said. “They started beating me up, and I didn’t like getting beat up, then I started beating them up, but I got better. The work you put into wrestling is what you see when you get out of it at the end.”

Flaggert wasn’t quite ready to get out of it.

“I was going to have to get a job,” Flaggert joked. “Nah, I just like being in the room and around my friends.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING BEDLAM WRESTLING : Cowboy wrestlers beat OU

Tulsa World Dec. 3, 2007 MATT DOYLE

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Jake Dieffenbach already has his college degree. But instead of applying it in the real world, Dieffenbach wanted to use his one last year of college wrestling eligibility.

After graduating from NAIA wrestling power Lindenwood (Mo.) University, Dieffenbach wanted to try his wrestling fortune on the big stage at Oklahoma State. Getting to use that final year of eligibility proved tougher than Dieffenbach’s opponent in Sunday’s Bed- lam match, Max Dean of Oklahoma .

The two-time NAIA national champion waited all summer before finally receiving an NCAA waiver in mid-August to compete at OSU this year as a graduate student.

The late arrival has provided a boost for the Cowboys.

In his first Bedlam match, Dieffenbach was one of seven Cowboys to post victories by decision in OSU’s 21-9 triumph over the Sooners before 4,144 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Dieffenbach downed Dean 3-2 at 165 pounds thanks to an early escape in the third period.

“I always thought that I could go back to NAIA (to wrestle), if I wanted, and get my master’s degree. I never thought was I was done wrestling ,” Dieffenbach said. “I haven’t wrestled in front of that many people, so that got the nerves out of me real quickly. (Dean) is a guy who likes to slow down the match and work on your head and I feel like I wrestled at his pace.”

With two-time national champion Johny Hendricks graduating after last year, OSU’s 165-pound spot was open for Dieffenbach to earn. He entered the lineup last week at the Northeast Duals and won three matches. His victory Sunday was a step toward keeping it.

Dean transferred to OU this year after three years at Indiana, where he qualified for the NCAA Tournament all three years.

“That was a good win for Jake. An important win,” OSU coach John Smith said. “Make no mistake the OU kid is a top-10, top-12 caliber wrestler at the NCAA Championships. That was a quality opponent.”

The Cowboys are 5-0 in duals. OU fell to 4-1 in duals.

Before the match, OU coach Jack Spates thought a lot of points would be scored in the 10 individual bouts. Instead, the Sooners struggled to get much offense generated outside of wins by 149-pounder Will Rowe and 197-pounder Joel Flaggert.

“This is a team that works hard and they didn’t show it today. That’s disappointing,” Spates said. “It was not a very exciting Bedlam match, and we bear our share of responsibility for it.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Sooners handle Bronchos

Tulsa World Dec. 8, 2007 Staff Reports

EDMOND, Okla. -- No. 20 Oklahoma soundly defeated defending Division II wrestling champion University of Central Oklahoma 27-6 Friday night at Hamilton Field House in Edmond.

The University of Central Oklahoma took OU down to the wire in last year’s match in Norman on Nov. 29, 2006. The Sooners even- tually prevailed only by a small margin, 20-18.

“This was really a nice ef fort against a great UCO team tonight,” OU head coach Jack Spates said. “I was pleased with the way our guys bounced back after a loss.”

True freshman Joey Fio scored first for the Sooners first in an 11-5 decision over Tyler Zukerman at 125 pounds. At 133-pounds, Brian Shelton scored a 6-1 decision over Trey Branscum to make the team score 6-0.

No. 11 Zack Bailey took care of Kyle Evans in the 141- pound bout with an 8-7 decision, and No. 9 Will Rowe won in a 12-5 decision at 149 pounds over Colby Robinson.

Shane Vernon was defeated in a 2-1 decision by Jason Leavitt in the 157-pound dual, and No. 13 Max Dean posted the only pin of the day over Cody Rowell at 165 pounds. The Sooners led after the first six matches, 18-3.

No. 9 Joshua Weitzel made the team score 24-3 with a 6-0 decision over Heath Jolley. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING College wrestling : OU 27, UCO 6 - Bailey gets big win as Sooners topple UCO

The Oklahoman Dec. 8, 2007 Matt Patterson

EDMOND, Okla. - University of Oklahoma wrestler Zack Bailey won’t take his first semester finals until next week, but the fresh- man passed an important in the Sooners ‘ 27-6 dual win over Central Oklahoma on Friday night at Hamilton Fieldhouse. The 141-pound Bailey came from behind to hand UCO’s Kyle Evans an 8-7 loss, winning with a near fall and a takedown in the final seconds of the match. Bailey, who is 16-2, had trailed Evans 6-3 at one point in the third period. Evans is a defending NCAA Division II champion at 141 and went 39-0 last season.

For Bailey, who is coming off a shoulder injury that ended his season a year ago, beating Evans after a loss to Nathan Morgan on Sunday in the Bedlam dual was an accomplishment.

“I’ve been training a lot lately, working hard to get back to that level that I was last year,” Bailey said. “I think pulling it out at the end was good for my confidence. I knew he was a good wrestler, but I try not to think about that too much.”

Bailey is becoming the wrestler OU coach Jack Spates had hoped he would be when he recruited the four-time Missouri state cham- pion two years ago.

“Zack dug deep,” Spates said after OU moved to 5-1. “Kyle is an outstanding wrestler, and Zack found a way to win. He just needs to believe in himself a little more. This is a big step for him as far as understanding how good he can be.”

The Sooners won eight of 10 weight classes. OU’s lone fall came at 165, when Max Dean pinned Cody Rowell at 5:36. OU’s Joey Fio (125) and Brian Shelton (133) started OU off with 11-5 and 6-1 wins. Jeff James (174), Josh Weitzel (184) and Joel Flaggert (197) all won by decisions.

“It was a nice effort,” Spates said. “Our guys wrestled hard.

“UCO is a great program. It would have been a nice feather in their cap to beat us. It was real important to set the tone right away. Joey Fio came back hard and made his weight and beat a real good kid. Brian Shelton looked good for the second week in a row.”

UCO (0-2) got a win from Jason Leavitt (157), who picked up a 2-1 decision over Shane Vernon. Bronchos heavyweight Dustin Finn edged Nathan Fernandez, 2-1.

The loss was the Bronchos’ second in as many duals. UCO was upset 24-21 Tuesday night by the NAIA’s No. 5-ranked Oklahoma City.

“We’re kind of a wounded beat up team right now. Sometimes that happens, but for the most part I’m pretty proud of our guys,” UCO coach David James said. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Wrestling Hall of Fame honorees announced

The Oklahoman Dec. 21, 2007 Staff Reports

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced its 2008 awards class, and several wrestlers with Oklahoma ties are among the honorees. Former Cornell wrestler Richard Small will receive the Order of Merit. Small is a Tulsa resident and serves on the Wres- tling Hall of Fame board.

The late Wayne Martin, a former University of Oklahoma wrestler, was named a Distinguished Member. Martin was the first three- time NCAA champion in program history. Martin coached high school wrestling at Elk City.

Other Distinguished Members include Ricky Bonomo, Bobby Weaver and Mike Houck.

Other honorees include Medal of Courage recipient James Mastro, and Jerry Wager, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement for Officials. Dan Cathy will receive the Outstanding American award.

Induction ceremonies are May 30-31 in Stillwater.

OCU to dedicate field: Oklahoma City University will dedicate its new softball facility, Ann Lacy Stadium, on March 25. The stadium, located at NW 27 and Florida Avenue, includes an indoor hitting facility, locker rooms, a reception area and coaches’ offices.

“I wanted to give the team the facilities they deserve,” said Ann Lacey, the facility’s benefactor. “They are national champions, and they should have a stadium on campus they can be very proud of.”

Sooners ranked 17{+t}{+h}: The Oklahoma men’s indoor track and field team was No. 17 in the preseason NCAA Division I poll.

The Sooners return Chip Heuser, a two-time indoor All-America pole vaulter, and Marcus Pugh, the defending Big 12 champion in the 60 meters.

Wright selling equipment: Gary Wright, who won three American Sprint Car Series features this year at State Fair Speedway in Okla- homa City, will sell all of his racing equipment at a Jan. 12 auction in Tulsa. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING OU to compete in Lone Star Duals

The Oklahoman Jan. 6, 2008 Matt Patterson

Arlington, Texas -- Oklahoma will participate in the Lone Star Duals today. The Sooners will wrestle Navy, North Carolina and Cal State- Fullerton. A year ago, No. 19-ranked OU won all three of its duals, but Navy, with several nationally ranked wrestlers, will be a challenge for youngsters like Joey Fio (125), Brian Shelton (133) and Jeff James (174). “Navy is always tough,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “We have to wrestle hard because this is a good test out of the gates for us.”

Still, Spates expects his team to win all three duals.

“We’ve had great practices, and I think the team seems to have a lot of intensity right now,” he said. “We’re looking at this as a chance to expand our repertoire a little bit.”

Central Oklahoma took part in the Lone Star Duals on Saturday, wrestling Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Wisconsin-Whitewater and Northwest College. Both Wisconsin schools are nationally ranked, and Northwest is No. 7 in the junior college ranks. UCO was with- out Tommy McCarty (174 pounds), who has been declared academically ineligible for the spring semester. Kenny Meredith or Jon Wechter will fill that spot. UCO also gained a transfer in Tim Elliott (133), who moved from Labette (Kan.) Junior College where he was a two-time All-American.

Stars re-align: Oklahoma City University adjusted its men’s lineup at several spots. Billy Burt (125) was filling in for Adam DeLong this weekend at the Lone Star Duals. The Stars also started Tyson Campbell (165). Campbell had been battling illness the first semes- ter. Dillon Blackmon (184) will now be backup to Mitchell Eichenauer, and Jeremy Garner (133) will move down from 141. Coach Archie Randall said the moves gave the Stars more flexibility in duals.

Quotable: OSU’s trip to Iowa meant Smith would see his nephew, Mark Perry (165), on the other side of the mat wrestling for the Hawkeyes. It was Perry who spoiled Johny Hendricks’ senior season by beating the former OSU star at the NCAA finals last year.

“I don’t think there’s any question that he (Perry) is as deserving as anyone in the weight class,” Smith said. “I wish it wasn’t at the expense of my student-athlete, but if my guy wasn’t going to win, I’m glad he did.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING After slow start, Sooners ‘ James starting to blossom on mat

The Oklahoman Jan.12, 2008 Matt Patterson

NORMAN, Okla. - When Jeff James first set foot on the wrestling mat at Oklahoma , coach Jack Spates wondered what he had gotten himself into. James had been highly successful at El Reno, winning two state championships. As a senior, he was The Oklaho- man’s All-City Wrestler of the Year and was recruited by Oklahoma State, Navy and Oregon. But James’ pedigree didn’t match his early season performance.

“He got beat a hundred to nothing the first few times he worked out,” Spates said.

“If I could have traded him for a draft choice to be named later I would have done it in a heartbeat.”

But Spates didn’t have to wait long to see improvement. James wrestled in 25 open tournaments as a redshirt freshman, paying his own entry fees.

Eventually, the talent began to blossom. Now, the 174-pound James’ future at OU is as bright as anyone on the roster. James is 14-2 and will get a chance to see how far he’s progressed when OU faces Michigan State and Pittsburgh in duals at McCasland Field House. James will likely face No. 1-ranked Keith Gavin of Pitt today.

“Things are going pretty good so far, and I’m pretty excited about the opportunities I’ve had,” James said. “In the next month and a half, I’m going to face quite a few ranked opponents, so it will be tough. But that’s something you have to deal with if you want to get better.”

Getting better means facing guys such as Missouri legend Ben Askren, who James was beaten by twice last season, and Oklahoma State All-American Brandon Mason, whom James lost to last month at Bedlam. Losses have combined to make James better.

“I find myself thinking a lot more than I used to,” James said. “When I got here it seemed like everyone had their technique down, and I knew I had to have an answer for that. You get better by practicing and wrestling tough guys, but I also had to take a look at what I wanted to be as a wrestler and what my style was.”

Performing under pressure is another area where James has improved. He won his preseason ranking match in overtime and wrestled Mason competitively in a tough environment in Stillwater. Spates said James has gotten better under the lights.

“I couldn’t be prouder of Jeff,” Spates said. “He’s a tremendous kid and a hard worker. You never wonder whether or not he’s going to show up. He battles. He’s not that slick yet, but he never stops fighting. He’s really become an inspiration to the rest of our team.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Spates feels good about young grapplers

The Norman Transcript By Scott Moore

In wrestling, the Big 12 Conference is generally one of the toughest in the nation. Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Iowa State are always ranked.

This season, OU has all those teams plus a tough non-conference slate that’s just beginning to get rugged.

And this is a year where an easier schedule might have seemed more appropriate.

“Our schedule this year was never made with our youth in mind,” OU coach Jack Spates said.

Spates has one of his youngest teams in years. At times, OU has four freshmen and two sophomores in the lineup.

OU has four returning national qualifiers in senior Joel Flaggert (197), juniorWill Rowe (149), senior Josh Weitzel (184) and sopho- more Kyle Terry (141). They also have senior Max Dean, who was a three-time national qualifier at Indiana.

But none were All-Americans last season and with half the weights consisting of sophomores or freshmen, duals can be a little dicey.

So far, OU has held its own. The Sooners are ranked 18th and are 8-1.

“If we wrestle with this kind of intensity and toughness, regardless of how we do, I will be pleased,” Spates said. “That’s the key. If you show up to wrestle, then good things can happen.”

The Sooners have done well, but have only faced two ranked teams. The Sooners lost to No. 3 Oklahoma State in November and beat No. 22 Navy last weekend. The Sooners also beat Central Oklahoma, which is ranked third in Division II.

But things are about to get a lot tougher.

“We’re building to the toughest part of our schedule,” Spates said.

Seven of OU’s next 10 duals will be against ranked teams. It starts today, when OU hosts Michigan State at 4 p.m., then No. 20 Pitts- burgh at 6. The Panthers and Spartans kick things off 2 p.m. All duals will be at Howard McCasland Field House and admission is free.

The rest of the schedule features No. 16 Tennessee-Chattanooga, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 4 Iowa State, No. 8 Missouri, No. 10 Nebraska and a another dual with Oklahoma State.

“But I think we are developing into a team that if we wrestle hard, we can be competitive with anyone,” Spates said. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING College wrestling : Sooners win twice - It’s all business for Dean - Sooner standout picks up two more wins

The Oklahoman Jan. 13, 2008 Matt Patterson

NORMAN, Okla. - Wrestling isn’t what led Oklahoma’s (10-1) Max Dean to Norman. It was business. Dean, a Price School of Busi- ness Scholar who owns a 3.85 GPA and two degrees from Indiana University, helped No. 18-ranked Oklahoma to a 17-15 dual win over No. 20-ranked Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon at McCasland Field House.

Dean followed his 15-5 win over Michigan State’s Rex Kendle with a 3-1 win over Pitt’s Ethan Headlee in the evening dual. It was a good day for a student who spent most of the week in Manhattan, N.Y., visiting alumni as a Price School of Business Scholar. Dean nearly had to give up wrestling after his plans to stay at Indiana failed.

“Academics have always been important to me,” Dean said. “It was a lot of soul searching. I knew I couldn’t’ walk away from my final season and forever wonder what I could have done. Indiana is always special, but I’m really happy here.”

Dean is making the most of his last season on the mat. He’s 16-2 and ranked No. 14 at his weight. His only two losses came to Okla- homa State’s Jake Dieffenbach and Keegan Mueller from North Carolina at the Lone Star Duals. Both are ranked ahead of him.

“I’ve had two tough losses,” Dean said. “But I’ve taken a lot from those losses.”

His parents were in town from Ohio to cheer him on. His father, Howard, played “Charge!” on the trumpet from the stands as OU wrestlers came to the mat and the Star Spangled Banner before the duals. Considering he missed most of OU’s practices this week while on his trip, his effort Saturday was impressive.

“We thought about that because we could have vetoed the trip,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “But he works so hard in every area we had to let him go do that. He got in a couple of workouts at the Athletic Club while he was there. That shows how disci- plined he is. He will find a way to work.”

The Sooners got wins from Joey Fio (125 pounds), who beat Brad Gentzle 3-2 and Will Rowe (149), who picked up an 11-1 major decision over Joe Ciampoli. At 174, OU’s Jeff James battled No. 1-ranked Keith Gavin. Through two periods, James trailed just 6-4 but Gavin pulled away in the third with a takedown and a release to win 9-5. OU’s Chad Terry (157) led No. 4-ranked Matt Kocher through two periods, picking up an escape in the second, but Kocher took Terry down in the third period and won 2-1.

The Sooners return to the mat at 7 p.m. Friday when they host No. 16 Tennessee-Chattanooga. OU will wrestle Wisconsin on Jan. 20 alongside Oklahoma State at the Ford Center. That event will be broadcast on ESPNU, beginning at 6 p.m. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING ‘Dr. Death’ back in Norman

The Oklahoman Jan. 15, 2008 Matt Patterson

NORMAN, Okla. -- Former University of Oklahoma wrestler and football standout Steve “Dr. Death” Williams will be honored at Oklahoma ‘s dual with No. 16-ranked Tennessee-Chattanooga at 7 p.m. Friday at McCasland Field House. Williams is one of 10 OU wrestlers to earn All-American honors four times.

Under longtime coach Stan Abel, Williams was a two-time Big 8 champion and was a national runner-up in 1981. Williams was given his nickname in high school because of his rough play in football and on the mat. On the football field,Williams was part of two Big 8 championship teams and played in five bowl games, including three Orange Bowls.

After graduating from OU, Williams moved on to the United States Football League before carving out a career in professional wres- tling . He became a world heavyweight champion in 1987 and a tag-team champion in 1986 and 1988. He eventually moved to Japan where he spent four years in the All-Japan Wrestling League.

Williams has written a book, “How Dr. Death Became Dr. Life,” chronicling his battle with throat cancer which ended last summer with Williams finally overcoming the illness.

“What a delight for this program to have Dr. Death return to Norman,” OU wrestling coach Jack Spates said. “His story is both amaz- ing and inspiring. We are proud to welcome him back to the Sooner wrestling program.”

Williams, along with current OU wrestlers, will sign autograph’s after Friday night’s dual. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Sooners have come long way on the mat

The Norman Transcript Jan. 16, 2008 By Scott Moore

It was one of the youngest teams Jack Spates had ever assembled and when it took the mat for its first meaningful dual, they weren’t ready.

Oklahoma State, as it usually does, beat Oklahoma Dec. 2 in Stillwater. OU was 4-0 when it wrestled the Cowboys, but only one of those wins was against a Division I team.

Spates had high hopes his young wrestlers would do well against the No. 3 Cowboys, but only OU’s veterans won matches. Spates called it disappointing.

But since, OU hasn’t lost. The Sooners are 10-1, have won eight straight duals, have grown up a bit, and, in Spates’ mind, are ready to take on the meat of the Sooners’ schedule.

“Coming into the season, we had some gaping holes,” Spates said. “But this is a team that has made great, great strides.

“We’re about to hit murderers row and I think we’re ready.”

Out of 10 weights, OU has four freshmen and two sophomores, which is almost unprecedented in Spates’ 14-year tenure. Not much was expected of the Sooners, as they barely cracked the Top 25 when the season started.

But OU has done well. Returning national qualifiers Joel Flaggert (197 pounds),Will Rowe (149) and Josh Weitzel (184) are the anchors, but how those younger wrestlers performed have been the key.

Freshman Joey Fio (125), Brian Shelton (133), Zack Bailey (141), Chad Terry (157), Jeff James (174) and Nathan Fernandez (heavy- weight) have performed well enough to help OU move up to No. 17 in the nation. All are either freshman or sophomores.

“We are really excited about our young guys,” Spates said.

Saturday, OU beat Michigan State and No. 20 Pittsburgh. The Sooners rolled over the Spartans 29-7, then edged Pitt 17-15.

Contributions from the younger wrestlers were key in the Pitt win. Fio won his match. Terry and James lost, but didn’t give up any bonus points despite wrestling against top-5 ranked grapplers. James lost to No. 1-ranked Kevin Gavin 9-5.

No. 19 Tennessee-Chattanooga comes to Howard McCasland Field House Friday. Sunday, OU will face No. 13 Wisconsin at the Ford Center.

Recent successes indicate the Sooners should represent themselves well.

“We’re a good team, but not a great team,” Spates said. “We are a team that can lose to some people, but we are a team that can beat a lot of people. This is a team that will be better next year and better the year after that without a lot of additions.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING OU turns to seniors Flaggert, Weitzel for win

The Oklahoman Jan. 19, 2008 Matt Patterson

NORMAN, Okla. - When Oklahoma (11-1) gets in a bind during a dual, the Sooners lean on their money guys - Josh Weitzel and Joel Flaggert. That was the case during OU’s 21-13 wrestling win over No. 19-ranked Tennessee-Chattanooga on Friday night at Mc- Casland Field House. It was OU’s seventh straight dual win, and the Sooners improved to 11-1 on the season.

After losing at 165 and 174 pounds, OU found itself trailing, 13-11. That’s when Weitzel (184) and Flaggert (197) took over as Weit- zel beat Josh Edmondson 13-0, and Flaggert picked up a 5-2 win over Matt Koz. Flaggert and Weitzel are a combined 35-0.

“It’s stressful sometimes,” Weitzel said. “As two of the three seniors on the team, we accept that responsibility. It’s something we have to take on our shoulders. But I have to take care of business for seven minutes and not worry about the score of the dual. You can’t get caught up in that.”

Weitzel nearly pinned Edmondson, and Flaggert took Koz apart methodically. Weitzel is ranked No. 7 nationally, and Flaggert is ranked third. OU coach Jack Spates has come to depend on the pair.

“In tough matches you feel confident with those guys because they’re both winners,” Spates said

Oklahoma ‘s Joey Fio (125) picked up a 16-4 win to open the dual. At 133, Johnny Starzyk filled in for the injured Brian Shelton and beat Steve Hromada, 12-2.

“Joey Fio was magnificent,” Spates said. “He absolutely took it away from him with sound technique. He showed why he’s a great wrestler. Johnny is a guy who hasn’t performed well early in the season but beat a good kid tonight and did it by dominating. Those were two big wins for us.”

OU closed the dual with a 3-1 win from heavyweight Nathan Fernandez (12-6). He trailed in the match before picking up a reversal in the third period. Chad Terry (157) also won for OU.

The Sooners take today off before facing Wisconsin at 6 p.m. Sunday in the Ford Center. The match will be telecast nationally by ESPNU. On another mat, at the same time, Oklahoma State will wrestle Nebraska.

Williams honored: OU honored former wrestling and football standout Steve “Dr. Death” Williams during the match by presenting him with a plaque. He spoke about his bout with throat cancer and the meaning of his return to Norman. Williams played football and wrestled for OU in the 1970s. Williams briefly played pro football before becoming a popular professional wrestler in the U.S. and Japan. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

College wrestling notebook: Shelton, Dean injured - Sooners face tough stretch

The Oklahoman Jan. 20, 2008 Matt Patterson

Oklahoma had several questionable spots in its lineup before the season began, but Joey Fio (125), Zack Bailey (141), Chad Terry (157) and Jeff James (174) are a combined 68-16 so far. The success of those newcomers along with veterans Joel Flaggert and Josh Weitzel have helped OU to an 11-1 start, but the Sooners will be put to the test in coming weeks, starting tonight.

“Wisconsin will be tough for us,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “We’re going to have to rebound from this meet (Tennessee-Chatta- nooga) and get refreshed. It’s a challenge our guys embrace.”

Weitzel is looking forward to the ESPNU spotlight and another shot at a ranked opponent.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to get better and show the improvement we’ve made,” he said. “We’re better than a lot of people thought we would be.”

Shelton out, Dean injured: Brian Shelton (133) suffered an injury against Michigan State and will miss the Wisconsin dual. Johnny Starzyk will wrestle in his place. Max Dean (165) injured his ankle in OU’s dual against Tennessee-Chattanooga Friday. Dean finished his match, but was in obvious pain.

“It’s going to depend on what kind of swelling he has,” Spates said of whether or not Dean will wrestle today. “Max thought it was a high ankle sprain but I don’t think that’s what it is.”

Bus blues: John Smith has heard a lot about OSU’s hectic weekend that includes a bus trip to Missouri followed by another to Okla- homa City to face Nebraska today. He’s not feeling sorry for his wrestlers.

“We didn’t have to go that route, but I thought it would be easier,” he said. “I’ve heard 15 or 20 times over this week we’re doing something that’s extremely difficult. That’s not difficult. When I wrestled we bussed everywhere.”

Still in the mix: The demotion of Cody Hill is part of the trials and tribulations of freshmen, but Smith isn’t giving up on the Marlow native who has lost six of his last eight matches.

“It’s all about performance at this point,” Smith said. “Cody seems to know what needs to take place. He’s a freshman that’s trying to find his way. As long as he continues to come in and battle some of his poor habits there’s a chance he can claw right back into it.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING State wrestlers draw spotlight

Tulsa World Jan. 20, 2008 MATT DOYLE

NORMAN, Okla. -- In a perfect scenario, John Smith would be watching his Oklahoma State wrestlers compete Sunday at Gallagher- Iba Arena in Stillwater rather than the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.

In a perfect scenario, Jack Spates would have thousands of fans flocking to his Oklahoma matches in Norman.

But growing a solid fan base for the sport hasn’t offered any perfect scenarios. Sunday’s ESPNU Wrestling Invitational in Oklahoma City is an attempt to cultivate new fans while maintaining its core base.

Sunday’s matchups feature No. 2 OSU against No. 3 Nebraska and No. 17 OU facing No. 13 Wisconsin. It is the second time in three years ESPN has helped organize a showcase event in Oklahoma City.

The first ESPNU invitational at the Ford Center featured a doubleheader. OU met Hofstra before No. 2 OSU and No. 1 Minnesota wrestled.

Sunday night’s format will be different. The OSU-Nebraska and OU-Wisconsin matches will take place on side-by-side mats.

ESPNU vice president and general manager Burke Magnus said college wrestling is one of a handful of sports that can emerge in the next few years and become more of a programming staple for the 3-year-old network.

“We have a place to grow it,” he said. “We believe wrestling has a strong, passionate following and that there is room for it to grow.”

Smith was more than willing to give up a home match against a conference rival, No. 3 Nebraska, if it meant more people would watch. He agreed to hold the Nebraska match a few more than 24 hours after his team’s road dual at Missouri, which the Cowboys tied 16-16.

“I like the concept. I like doing things that are not routine. It seems that sometimes you get into a routine where, by wrestling at the same place, your athletes get a little stale at times. So it’s good to have something different,” Smith said. “It’s what ESPN wanted. When wrestling gets a chance to be on TV, there isn’t any question, we have to take advantage of it and do whatever they want. It gives a chance for people across the country to watch two good dual matches.”

Spates is glad his OU program will be able to share some of the spotlight with its in-state rival Sunday night.

The Sooners program does not have the sustained tradition of OSU’s 34 national championships or a sizable fan base. With the excep- tion of the annual Bedlam matchup, OU’s home matches at McCasland Field House typically draw around 300-400 spectators.

This season, OU tried a new concept to attract additional fans. OU is not charging admission to its home matches except for a double- header with a Sooners meet, and the Feb. 21 Bedlam match.

Officials from the Oklahoma City All-Sports Association, which is helping ESPU organize and operate Sunday’s event, hope to draw a crowd between 4,500 and 5,000 fans, which would be the largest crowd for an OU match this year.

Spates declined to address the attendance issue, stating he can only control the “on-the-mat” aspects of his program. He hopes the chance afforded his program Sunday will eventually attract more spectators to Norman.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to go side-by-side with Oklahoma State in the same venue and a great opportunity for wrestling fans to see our program and be on national television,” the OU coach said. “This is our opportunity to showcase our program.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

No. 13 Wisconsin downs Sooners

Tulsa World (OK) Jan. 21, 2008 MATT DOYLE

OU’s Joel Flaggert suffers his first loss in 18 matches.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma left the Ford Center disappointed with the final result of Sunday night’s ESPNU Wrestling Invita- tional match with Wisconsin.

Sooners coach Jack Spates, though, could not walk out into the chilly Oklahoma night disappointed with the effort of his team. OU fell 18-15 to the No. 13 Badgers before a crowd of 2,496 fans at the Ford Center.

Wisconsin broke a 15-all tie with a 4-2 heavyweight victory by Kyle Massey over OU sophomore Nathan Fernandez.

“We come into this dual without two starters and have five freshmen and three sophomores in our lineup,” Spates said. “Yet, we put ourselves in position to win the dual. You can’t be disappointed by our effort.”

One of the youngsters Spates had in his lineup helped spur an OU comeback. Redshirt sophomore Shane Vernon was pressed into action at 165 pounds when senior Max Dean was ruled out of action with a high ankle sprain. Vernon, a three-time state champ at Broken Arrow, had been battling Chad Terry all year for OU’s starting spot at 157 pounds.

Vernon said he “ate a little more at lunch,” Sunday to get up to 164.6 pounds to face Wisconsin’s Jake Donar. The ex tra food provided an extra boost as Vernon scored a late reversal with 16 seconds left to pull out an 8-7 win.

“I’ve been having a rough time just trying to get in there,” Vernon said. “I’m pleased by my showing today. Big shot of confidence.”

Said Spates: “Here’s a guy who is not first team and he could easily hang his head and pack his bags and wait for next year. He’s not doing that.”

Vernon gave the OU team confidence. Jeff James and Josh Weitzel followed with major decision wins at 174 and 184 to give the Sooners a 15-12 lead.

But OU senior 197-pounder Joel Flaggert suffered his first loss in 18 matches when Dallas Herbst rallied late and posted a 4-2 triumph in the second tiebreaker period. That set the stage for Massey’s heavyweight win to lift Wisconsin to the team victory.

“Joel Flaggert has done a ton of good things for us, so we’re not going to trash him,” Spates said. “Maybe this could be the best thing for him. We had the opportunity to win it, but we couldn’t seal the deal. Joel knows why, and I think he’ll continue to do a lot of good things for us.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING ESPNU Invitational - Flaggert suffers first loss in OU defeat

The Oklahoman January 21, 2008 Author: Robert Przybylo, Staff Writer

For all the great things Joel Flaggert has done for the Oklahoma wrestling team, head coach Jack Spates is willing to cut the senior some slack. Sunday, Flaggert suffered his first loss of the season, which helped catapult Wisconsin to an 18-15 win against Oklahoma at the Ford Center.

Flaggert led 2-0 entering the final period, but a two-point nearfall against him by the once-beaten Dallas Herbst sent the match into sudden victory.

In the second overtime, Herbst scored a two-point reversal that proved to be the difference.

“Joel has been the leader of this team the whole season and has done everything we’ve asked of him,” Spates said. “He knows why he lost that match. In the end, we think it could be the best thing that’s happened to him. He’ll learn from this and move on.”

There’s no shame in losing to Herbst, Spates said. The two came in with a combined 36-1 record, with Flaggert ranked third in the nation at 197 pounds and Herbst ranked sixth.

Before Flaggert lost, it appeared the 17th-ranked Sooners were on their way to an upset of the 13th-ranked Badgers.

But it wasn’t the usual cast of characters providing the lift for OU, it was two unsung heroes. At 165, starter Max Dean injured him- self in a dual win on Friday against Tennessee-Chattanooga, thrusting sophomore Shane Vernon into the spotlight.

Vernon earned a takedown with 15 seconds left in the third period to upset Wisconsin’s Jake Donar, 8-7.

“He just battled hard and never let up,” Spates said.

Vernon’s victory cut Wisconsin’s lead to 12-7 when OU redshirt freshman Jeff James pulled off surprise No. 2. Coming into the match with a three-match losing streak, James dominated Justin Peterson and won 10-1.

“I just felt real good today,” James said. “A lot of times, when I can’t get that first takedown, I get flustered. Today, I was able to stay calm all throughout. It was great to see everything come together.”

James said he felt his confidence growing in each period. James scored five takedowns in the bout.

OU senior Joshua Weitzel would register another major decision at 184 as the Sooners grabbed their first and only lead of the dual at 15-12.

The loss drops OU to 11-2. The Sooners are back in action Friday night with a home dual against Iowa State at 7 p.m. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Dean to return to Sooner lineup

The Oklahoman January 25, 2008 Matt Patterson

Max Dean (165) missed the Wisconsin dual Sunday because of an ankle injury the senior suffered in OU’s win over Tennessee-Chat- tanooga a week ago. Dean will return this week, coach Jack Spates said. Teammate Shane Vernon filled in and won his match Sunday. “Shane did a great job,” Spates said. “It would be easy to understand if he was disappointed about not starting but he’s been back in the room with a lot of enthusiasm.”

Adversity tests Flaggert: Joel Flaggert (197) lost his first match of the season to No. 6-ranked Dallas Herbst ofWisconsin on Sunday. Spates said he doesn’t expect losing to become a habit for Flaggert, who is ranked No. 3.

“Winners shake off defeat,” Spates said. “People like Joel who have a strong will know there will be some bumps along the way. How they deal with it separates them from the rest.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

College wrestling : Iowa State at OU - Sooners’ schedule could define them

The Oklahoman January 25, 2008 Author: Matt Patterson, Staff Writer

NORMAN, Okla. - Life doesn’t get any easier for No. 18 Oklahoma as it hosts No. 9 Iowa State tonight at McCasland Field house. OU (11-2, 0-1) lost 18-15 to Wisconsin on Sunday at the ESPNU Wrestling Invitational, snapping a win streak that started after the Bedlam dual in Stillwater on Dec. 2. With the conference season heating up, the Sooners are at a potentially defining point in their schedule.

“The Big 12 ups the ante,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “Our focus is on this week and how we wrestle. I think we have to be aggres- sive and win at least five matches against Iowa State to have a good chance to win.”

OU 125-pounder Joey Fio said the team knows what’s in store, but added OU’s youthful lineup can’t rest on the improvement it has shown in two months.

“We have to show more,” Fio said. “It’s kind of a hard thing. We don’t have a lot of upperclassmen. We’re mainly sophomores and redshirt freshmen. We have to step it up. We have to go all out or we won’t win anything.”

Iowa State (11-3) has seven ranked wrestlers. OU has six. The Cyclones are coming off a 24-18 win over Wisconsin on Jan.18 and beat OU 27-9 last season.

No. 9 Iowa State at No. 18 OU

When: 7 p.m.

Where: McCasland Field House

Broadcast:

Takedownradio.com

The lowdown: OU (11-2) narrowly lost to Wisconsin on Sunday and will look to rebound. OU has six ranked wrestlers while ISU has seven.

Admission: Free (The first 500 fans will receive an OU wrestlingT-shirt; 50-cent hot dogs also will be sold.) OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING OU wrestling - Flaggert back on winning path, but OU falls to ISU

The Oklahoman January 26, 2008 Matt Patterson

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma ‘s Joel Flaggert started a new winning streak, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled about it. The 197-pounder was No. 18-ranked OU’s lone victor in a 31-3 dual loss to No. 9 Iowa State on Friday night at McCasland Field House. The No. 5- ranked senior began the season with 17 consecutive wins before losing to Wisconsin’s Dallas Herbst on Sunday at the ESPNU Classic in the Ford Center. Flaggert returned to his winning ways on Friday with a 3-2 decision over David Bertolino, but it took an escape in the third period to break a 2-2 tie.

Even a win wasn’t enough to prop up an otherwise sour night.

“I’m not happy at all that I won,” Flaggert said. “That was horrible. We had no fight. No heart to us at all.”

The Sooners were swept in the first eight weight classes. OU scored just five points in its first three matches, which included a 9-0 major decision loss for Joey Fio (125), a fall given up by John Starzyk (133) and a 10-3 loss by Zack Bailey (141).

OU was more competitive at the higher weights. The Sooners ‘ Josh Weitzel (184) lost his first match of the season to top-ranked Jake Varner, 5-1. Chad Terry (157) stayed close to the Cyclones’ No. 6-ranked Cyler Sanderson before losing, 8-3. Max Dean (165) and Jeff James (174) lost two point matches. Freshman heavyweight Nathan Fernandez battled No. 5-ranked David Zabriskie for three periods before losing, 6-5.

“I was hard on our first three guys tonight at halftime,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “I wasn’t hard on Chad Terry. I wasn’t hard on Will Rowe or Max or anyone after that because they came to wrestle, and they battled. They gave themselves a chance to win.”

Spates canceled the team’s scheduled day off today. The team will hold a practice as OU (11-3) sets its sights on Arizona State, which visits Friday. After back-to-back losses to Wisconsin and Iowa State, the Sooners need to gain some traction as duals at Missouri and Nebraska loom.

“We have to push ourselves in the room,” Flaggert said. “We have to hold our partners accountable.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Even with ADHD, OU wrestler Joey Fio has made the transition on the mat and in the classroom

No. 3 UCO wrestlers will try to bounce back after losses--Arizona State at No. 17 Oklahoma

The Oklahoman Jan. 25, 2008 Matt Patterson

NORMAN — For a college kid, Joey Fio doesn’t sleep much. Oklahoma’s 125-pound freshman goes to bed around midnight and gets up at 5 a.m. When he’s awake he goes to class, and drills in the Sooners’ steamy wrestling room for hours, even in the off-season.

Fio’s seemingly endless supply off stamina doesn’t come from his diet or a supplement, it comes from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The condition’s name aptly describes its symptoms. Fio admittedly has trouble focusing on things that don’t interest him, and he considers himself hyperactive.

Fio learned he had ADHD in elementary school, when most with the condition are diagnosed. An elementary teacher suggested his parents take him to the doctor.

“I was the kid on the field chasing butterflies, not even looking for the ball,” Fio said. “I always had a lot of energy.”

But rather than dwell on ADHD, or use it as a life-long crutch, Fio takes a different approach.

“I consider it a gift,” he said.

There is no cure for ADHD. Treatment often involves counseling, changes in lifestyle and avoiding situations where the symptoms can become aggravated. Many who are diagnosed with ADHD take medication, including Ritalin and Adderall, to alleviate its effects. Fio elected not to take medication.

“I never wanted that,” he said. “I see people who have it and they’re always tired. People that get on medication for it tend to act like everyone else. I don’t want to be like everyone else. I enjoy always being on and I harness it.”

Not everyone on OU’s roster enjoyed him being “on.” Fio was a talker in the wrestling room and it created some tension, at least initially.

“He was a new guy coming in and taking the spot of an older guy,” teammate Greg Cannon said. “But now that he’s the starter he doesn’t talk because he’s proven he can get there.”

Fio cops to being a bit of a motor mouth when he first came to OU, but said he has worked hard to change the perception.

“I really wanted to be in the lineup as a freshman and I kept telling people I was going to be,” Fio said. “It rubbed people the wrong way at first. But I think I showed how hard I was willing to work to earn friendship and respect.”

Cannon said there’s no doubt Fio’s personality is often charged by the time he hits practice.

“He’s a little bit of a character,” Cannon said. “He’ll just be telling a story about his day and he’ll be energetic about it. It could be something that happened in the dorms and he comes at you with a lot of energy.”

Fio, who is often introduced as “Giuseppe Fio” as he comes onto the mat during home duals, has shown he can back up his talk with solid, and sometimes spectacular wrestling. The red shirt-freshman is off to a 15-6 start. He won a major decision over No. 15-ranked Javier Maldonado of Tennessee-Chattanooga last month.

“Joey is an amazing individual,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “He’s unquestionably a handful, but he’s also a kid who has made a huge transition from high school to college.”

Spates said he has coached other wrestlers with ADHD. Some have treated it, but Spates said it’s not surprising Fio has chosen not to. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Fio Cont’d

“I’m glad he sees it as an advantage,” Spates said. “That would be typical of him and how he approaches challenges.”

For many diagnosed with ADHD school can be a mine field of distractions, but grades have never been a problem for Fio, even dating back to elementary and middle school. More recently, the Idaho native had a 3.0 GPA last semester majoring in zoology. One current zoology course has a three hour lab each week and Fio enjoys it.

“If it’s interesting, it’s no problem,” he said. “It’s the dumb classes; you lose me from the start with those. I like zoology because it explains life in general. I really don’t agree with evolution, but especially as an athlete, it’s interesting to study the body and how it repairs itself.”

On the mat there has been progress, but also set backs, as was the case with his loss to Iowa State freshman Tyler Clark last week. Fio said most of the strides he’s made this year have been mental.

“I’m a lot older and I think I’ve matured,” he said. “I’m better at managing my time. It’s such a big step coming to college and looking back I don’t think I was ready at all.”

Conference matches await with Missouri and Nebraska next week and Fio wants to win them all, and then some.

“I’d like to win the NCAAs,” he said. “That’s every boys dream. But being an All-American would be great. I’m really pushing for that.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Sooners need a push

Scott Moore The Norman Transcript Jan. 29, 2008

• OU depends on back-ups to make starters better

When you see a wrestler out on the mat, struggling with his opponent, whether or not that wrestler wins or loses depends on a lot of things. Talent, of course, is a big key, so is training and simply just being aware and focused.

Also, a lot depends on how good the back-up wrestler is.

Front-line wrestlers go against their back-ups in the wrestling room. If that second-stringer isn’t going as hard as he can, isn’t pushing the starter to do his best, it can show come match time.

No. 18 Oklahoma lost to No. 9 Iowa State last Friday at McCasland Field House. The Sooners didn’t just lose, they were crushed 31- 3.

“It was one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to endure as a coach,” OU coach Jack Spates said.

Spates said one of the reasons OU lost by such a wide margin is that some Sooner back-up wrestlers are not pushing the starters hard enough.

In the first three weights (125, 133, 141) Iowa State was simply more aggressive, recording a decision, a major decision and a fall. The Sooners were much more competitive in the final seven bouts, losing six by decision with the largest margin of defeat being five points.

But coming close doesn’t win trophies. The Cyclones had what it took to close out matches and the back-up wrestlers have a great deal to do with that.

“The goal is to make those starters better,” Spates said. “Everybody is treated special on our team. I tell those guys that there are few people that can do what they do. Those young guys can still hold on to the dream that one day they may be the starter. It gets tougher for upperclassmen when they come to the realization that they aren’t going to be the man. But they can still help this team.”

Spates said the team has rebounded well from the Iowa State loss. The Sooners had a lengthy meeting afterward to get some things together.

“The guys really have responded well,” he said. “You have to respond. You can’t just hang your head.”

The Sooners will next host Arizona State at 7 p.m. Friday. It’s a good spot for this dual because the Sun Devils are 9-4 on the season, but aren’t ranked and haven’t beaten a ranked team. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Sooners hit the road

The Oklahoman Feb. 8, 2008 Author: Matt Patterson

Oklahoma is fresh off a 31-9 win over Arizona State, but the stakes go up this week as the Sooners travel for road duals at No. 12- ranked Missouri tonight and at No. 2 Nebraska on Sunday.

The No. 18-ranked Sooners (12-3) will get two wrestlers back: Brian Shelton (133) and Zack Bailey (141). But Chad Terry (157) will miss both duals because of illness. Terry has wrestled well for OU in recent weeks.

“I think this is going to be a real good test for our guys,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “We’ve been building for this as a team. We’re coming in a little undermanned. Chad is out, but getting Brian and Zack back will be a big boost if they’re able to go. I think we’re all excited about competing. We haven’t been on the road that much.”

Spates hopes the ASU dual, in which OU fell behind 9-0 early, will serve as an experience the Sooners can draw on.

“We dug deep and were able to pull things back,” Spates said. “I think for the most part that was very good for us.”

Still, Spates said he can’t point to a single match that could come easy for OU . Even at 197, where senior Joel Flaggert is ranked No. 4, it will be difficult as Flaggert faces No. 7 Max Askren at Missouri tonight.

“Virtually every match will be hard fought,” Spates said.

Rankings watch: The Sooners have a season-high seven wrestlers ranked in the Top 20 this week, led by No. 6 Joshua Weitzel (184), No. 15 Zack Bailey (141), No. 13 Brian Shelton (133), No. 13 Will Rowe (149), No. 20 ranked Chad Terry (157) and Max Dean (165).

Spates on Oregon: The University of Oregon will drop its wrestling program after the current season, though there is an effort to en- dow the program by former coach Ron Finley at www.saveoregonwrestling.com.

Oregon plans to add baseball in place of wrestling . Oregon administrators have said they are open to looking at alternative ways to fund the program, but its fate is shaky at best.

“I think it’s absolutely tragic,” Spates said. “As a university you get a $100 million gift and then you cut a sport you have had for so many years. It shows a lack of care and creativity on their part. There are some challenges there where the new athletic director has come in with a vested interest in baseball, and is there to serve his interest.”

Next up: Feb. 15, Cal Poly at OU , 7 p.m.; Feb. 21, OSU at OU , 7 p.m. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING College wrestling : Nebraska 21, OU 9 - Fio pulls big upset, but Sooners lose

The Oklahoman Feb. 11, 2008 Staff Reports

LINCOLN, Neb. - True freshman Joey Fio had one of the biggest upsets of the wrestling season Sunday, yet second-ranked Nebraska still came away with a 21-9 dual victory over No. 18 Oklahoma.

Fio beat No. 4-ranked and defending national champion Paul Donahoe 6-5 at 125 pounds. Fio trailed 4-3 going into the final period, but he had a takedown and escape to stun Donahoe.

“Fio’s win was absolutely huge for us,” OU coach Jack Spates said in a statement. “He works so hard and refused to lose against the defending national champion. We are really proud of his effort this weekend.”

Fio’s win drew Oklahoma within 12-9 in the team score. But the Cornhuskers won the final three bouts to improve to 12-3 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12. The Sooners fell to 12-5 and 0-4.

Chad Terry at 157 pounds and Joshua Weitzel at 184 were the only other Sooners to win.

OU next competes at 7 p.m. Friday against Cal Poly in a “Beauty and the Best” promotion. While the Sooners wrestle on one side of Lloyd Noble Center’s floor, the OU women’s gymnastics team will be competing against Iowa State on the other side. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Wrestling : OU downs Cal Poly, 32-9

The Oklahoman Feb. 16, 2008 Staff Reports

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma won its last two matches by fall on Friday night and whipped Cal Poly 32-9 in wrestling at Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sooners snapped a two-match losing streak - both to Big 12 schools - by routing an opponent that’s making its way through Oklahoma before the Pac-10 Championships begin in two weeks. Cal Poly (5-7) faces Okla- homa State at 5 tonight in Stillwater.

OU (13-5) was never in danger of losing the dual, but ninth-ranked Joel Flaggert at 197 pounds and Nathan Fernandez at heavyweight made it a rout with falls. Sixth-ranked Joshua Weitzel added a major decision at 184 pounds.

“Tonight was a great outing for the Sooners ,” OU coach Jack Spates said. “We can take this victory and use it as a building block - next week it’s Bedlam.”

The Sooners and OSU at 7 p.m. Thursday in McCasland Field House in Norman. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING Bedlam wrestling- OU ‘s Terry out for redemption

The Oklahoman Feb. 21, 2008 Matt Patterson

NORMAN - Chad Terry has already accomplished his goal of wrestling in the Bedlam dual. Now he wants to win a match at Bed- lam.

Oklahoma’s 157-pound sophomore is 17-5 and ranked No. 16 nationally. Even though he was glad to crack the starting lineup after being a reserve last year, a loss to Newly McSpadden in the first Bedlam dual in December left a bad taste. He’ll get a chance at redemption when the Sooners host the Cowboys tonight at McCasland Field House.

For Terry, it’s been a dream season so far. The Carl Albert graduate earned a spot as a starter in a preseason ranking match and sur- vived another ranking match after the season started.

“Coming into the year, there was a lot of tough competition in the room and at my weight,” Terry said. “I knew it would be tough. I basically came into the season looking at it as a great time to prove myself.”

The second ranking match wasn’t much fun, especially since he started the season strong. He survived the ranking match, which boosted his confidence.

“It was kind of upsetting, because I was one of the only guys who had to rank more than once,” he said. “I wanted to focus on my other competition and didn’t want to keep wrestling to be a starter. But I didn’t complain, and after I won again, I felt like I deserved the spot even more than I did before.”

OU coach Jack Spates said Terry has more potential to realize.

“He’s a hair away from being an All-American caliber guy,” Spates said. “He’s taking All-American guys right to the wire. It’s not going to be long before he gets there.”

Terry shares a spot on the team with his twin brother and roommate Kyle, who was a starter last season at 141 pounds.

“The funny thing is, he started last year and I was a back up,” Chad Terry said. “We were both planning on starting, but Zack Bailey has been starting at my brother’s weight, so we haven’t had a lot of mat time together. But it’s great to have a brother on the team.”

What’s not so great is OU ‘s recent record in Bedlam duals. The Sooners have lost the last 19 to the Cowboys. Chad Terry said the team is aware of the streak but doesn’t focus on it. For Spates, it’s a bothersome subject. OU lost to OSU 21-9 on Dec. 2 in Stillwater.

“We’ve been in the top-four six of the last eight years, but we can’t win a Bedlam dual meet,” Spates said. “That’s frustrating and embarrassing, but what we tell our team is that it’s a great opportunity for them to end that streak.” Caption: Oklahoma’s Chad Terry, right, defeats Seth Garvin at 157 pounds as the Sooners hosted Tennessee-Chattanooga at Mc- Casland Field House on Jan. 18. Terry, a junior, is 17-5 and ranked No. 16 nationally. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING End is near for Sooners’ Flaggert

By Scott Moore The Norman Transcript

Joel Flaggert wrestled in just one dual as a freshman for Oklahoma. It was memorable — a 2-1 upset of Oklahoma State’s Rusty Blackmon.

“When he was a freshman, he was ferocious,” OU coach Jack Spates said.

But he was still a young kid from Choctaw, waiting for his chance to shine. He always thought about what it would be like to be a senior. He felt that by then everything would be lined up for him.

“I thought everything would be great, I’d have everything figured out,” Flaggert said. “Now, I think I have it figured out then by the next week, it’s like I don’t know anything. It’s all a learning process.”

Flaggert is OU’s wrestler at 197 pounds. He’s had success over the years — three times a national qualifier, with a fourth- and fifth- place finish.

There’s not much left on OU’s schedule. The Sooners host No. 3 Oklahoma State at 7 tonight at Howard McCasland Field House, then it’s the Big 12 tournament in Stillwater and the NCAA championships in St. Louis.

That means there’s not much left to Flaggert’s career. He has one last shot to beat Oklahoma State, one last shot to win a conference title and one last shot to be the best 197-pounder in the country.

“It’s kind of sad, actually,” said Flaggert, a fifth-year senior. “My goals are still there. But it’s like, what’s next? What’s the next chap- ter? I look back and there’s only one guy left from my class and it’s me. I’m kind of the Last of the Mohicans.”

He may be the last but he still wants to be the best and, most certainly, wants to be a member of the team that beat Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have won the last 18 meetings and haven’t lost in the last 26. There was a 16-16 tie in 2000 and OU’s last win was 19-18 in 1996.

All that is motivation for OU.

“This is as big as it gets,” Flaggert said. “It’s an in-state rivalry. It’s Bedlam. The football games, the games, it’s called Bed- lam because of the wrestling match. That’s where it started.”

Despite OSU’s long winning streak, OU won’t enter the dual with a loser’s mentality. Instead, the Sooners see it as an opportunity to do something great.

“The pressure is on them,” Spates said. “Our guys are thinking, ‘Let’s break the streak.’”

“Look at the (New York) Giants. No one thought they could win.”

OU enters the dual with five ranked wrestlers, while OSU has seven. OU’s top wrestlers are No. 17 Joey Fio at 125, No. 16 Zach Bai- ley at 141, No. 17 Will Rowe at 149, No. 17 Chad Terry at 157, No. 6 Josh Weitzel at No. 6 and No. 9 Flaggert at 197. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Flaggert Cont’d

The Sooners will be missing Jeff James at 174, who tore a knee ligament during practice. He’ll be replaced by Chris DeVilbiss.

OSU’s ranked wrestlers include No. 14 Tyler Shinn at 125, No. 1 Coleman Scott at 133, No. 3 Nathan Morgan at 141, No. 20 Newly McSpadden at 157, No. 5 Jake Deiffenbach at 165, No. 8 Brandon Mason at 174 and No. 8 Jared Rosholt at heavyweight.

The Sooners are the underdogs, which suits Flaggerts just fine. He prefers taking the mat as the guy not supposed to win.

“It’s not fun going out there and beating someone I know I’m supposed to beat,” he said. “The ones I wasn’t supposed to win, those are the ones I remember most.”

He’ll face Clayton Foster tonight, a guy he beat 20-6 when OSU beat the Sooners 21-9 in Stillwater Dec. 2.

Flaggert will probably win tonight, but it’s two other wrestlers who are really driving him. OU lost at Missouri Feb. 8 and at Ne- braska two days later. Flaggert was beaten by Missouri’s Max Askren 3-0 and Nebraska’s Craig Brester 6-1. Both were marquee matches. Askren is ranked sixth and Brester seventh.

He’ll see both of them at the Big 12 Tournament.

“That’s 95 percent of my motivation right now,” Flaggert said.

“I think it’s fueled his fire,” Spates said of the two losses. “I know it frustrated him, but it made him more determined.”

The end of his career at OU is imminent, but he could finish on top. It’s right there in front of him. After that, he’s not sure what comes next.

“Just try to get a job,” he said. “Maybe join the fire department. Maybe I’ll wrestle.There might be some oil left in the candle.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Bedlam wrestlers gear up

Tulsa World Feb. 21, 2008 MATT DOYLE

NORMAN, Okla. -- The statistic is so glaring that, at first glance, it would be hard to believe it’s true.

But the numbers do not lie.

The Oklahoma State-Oklahoma matchup in wrestling is the most lopsided rivalry in all of college sports. The Cowboys own a 124-24- 9 series advantage. No other athletic program in the country claims a 100-victory edge over a single opponent in any sport.

“I don’t know if you call it a mental edge. I don’t know what you call it. I know that our team gets up for it,” OSU coach John Smith said. “In the past, we haven’t taken it for granted that we’re just going to roll in and win. We take it serious.”

OU takes Bedlam serious as well. The results do not show it, though.

The series’ recent history -- OSU winning the last 19 matches and undefeated in the past 27 -- mirrors the overall series. Following December’s 21-9 loss, OU coach Jack Spates apologized for his team’s showing, stating “it was not a very exciting Bedlam match, and we bear our share of responsibility for it.”

Entering Thursday night’s Bedlam match in Norman, Spates prefers to avoid talk of the past.

There is not anything that can be changed from the past, he said. The OU coach chooses to discuss about the great opportunity await- ing his team Thursday.

In December, OU had five of its 10 wrestlers making their Bedlam debut. Spates said there have been several instances during his 15- year OU tenure where some of his Bedlam first-timers allow the match’s pressure and buildup to affect their performance.

“Our guys have grown up have considerably. . .” said Spates, whose 13-5 team is ranked 17th. “They anticipate the challenge of Bed- lam. We don’t overplay Bedlam, but if the kids don’t know it’s Bedlam then something is wrong. Ulti mately, we’re all preparing for the NCAA Championship and this match is a big step in that journey.”

OU will have one wrestler, junior 174-pounder Chris Devilbiss, making his Bedlam debut. Devilbiss replaces Jeff James, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.

Nine of OSU’s projected 10-man lineup has experienced Bedlam at least once in their careers. If Newly McSpadden gets the start at 157 instead of Neil Erisman, it would mean all 10 Cowboys are Bedlam veterans. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Bedlam wrestling : OU 18, OSU 15 - Bedlam misery is over for Sooners- OU beats OSU for first time since 1995

The Oklahoman Feb. 22, 2008 Matt Patterson

NORMAN - Oklahoma’s Josh Weitzel isn’t much into setting tones. He just wants to win wrestling matches the best way he can.

That’s what Weitzel did Thursday night in No. 17-ranked Oklahoma’s stunning 18-15 upset of No. 3 Oklahoma State at McCasland Field House. The last time OU beat OSU was December 1995. The Cowboys had won each of the last 19 meetings and were favored to make it 20. After all, OSU hammered the Sooners 21-9 on Dec. 2 in Stillwater.

Weitzel set the table for the upset. The dual began at 184 pounds, and Weitzel pinned OSU’s Jack Jensen at 2:18 to give the Sooners a 6-0 lead.

“My focus was on wrestling ,” Weitzel said. “I wasn’t thinking about setting the tempo.”

Weitzel didn’t even know he got the pin, though he thought he was getting close.

“When Mr. (Kenny) Ritchie called the pin, I didn’t know I had it,” Weitzel said of the referee. “I was a little shocked. He (Jensen) was still rocking back and forth. I know it was a good way to start for us.”

Weitzel was far from the only key for the Sooners , who split the individual matches 5-5 with the Cowboys. True freshman Joey Fio upset Tyler Shinn at 125 pounds, 3-2. Shinn had beaten Fio in their first meeting this season in Stillwater. Fio scored a first-period takedown, but Shinn tied it 2-2 on an escape in the second period. Fio won on an escape with 1:50 left in the third. He was inspired before his match.

“When your team is winning, you’re stoked. It makes you want to wrestler harder.” Fio said. “I felt like I was pretty pumped up and ready to go.”

OU received wins from Will Rowe (149), Chad Terry (157) and Joel Flaggert (197), but maybe just as big was one of the Sooners who lost. Junior Chris DeVilbiss (174) was pressed into action this week after starter Jeff James tore knee ligaments last week against Cal Poly. The relatively unknown DeVilbiss, who considered quitting the team last fall, met No. 8-ranked Brandon Mason in the final match of the night.

His task, with OU clinging to an 18-12 lead: Don’t get pinned. Oklahoma coach Jack Spates stepped away from the bench to talk to him beforehand. DeVilbiss lost 7-0, but he didn’t give up a pin that would have secured a tie for the Cowboys.

“I told him to be a hero,” Spates said. “We knew he couldn’t go to his back. Mason is a big strong kid, and we knew he had to keep fighting on bottom. He had a chance to be a hero, and he was.”

Oklahoma State had wins from Coleman Scott (133), Nathan Morgan (141), Jake Dieffenbach (165) and Jared Rosholt (heavyweight). But none picked up the bonus points that might have made a difference in the team score.

“I thought we did the bare minimum to win, and it showed,” OSU coach John Smith said. “We’ve had a little bit of a sorry attitude in the room the last two days. I think I was the only guy who didn’t overlook it. But give OU credit. They pinned us at 184, and they upset us at 125 and they gutted out wins at 149 and 157.”

Smith said he hopes his team understands what it did wrong in the loss.

“I think this is a good wake up call,” Smith said. “If it’s not, it could be a long postseason for us.” OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

OU snaps OSU’s Bedlam streak

Tulsa World Feb. 23, 2008 By MATT DOYLE

NORMAN -- Oklahoma wrestling coach Jack Spates could not resist talking about the obvious hot topic following Thursday night’s Bedlam match against Oklahoma State.

“I’m sure everyone wants to talk about the streak,” Spates said.

On this night, the streak was the hot topic -- in a positive fashion -- for OU.

OSU’s streak of 19 consecutive victories and no losses in the last 27 Bedlam battles is over. OU used a first-period pin from 184- pounder Josh Weitzel and an upset victory from freshman 125-pounder Joey Fio to pull off an 18-15 victory over the Cowboys.

A crowd of 1,734 fans at McCasland Field House witnessed OU’s first Bedlam wrestling triumph since a 19-18 decision in Stillwater on Nov. 28, 1995.

“Probably the biggest failure in my tenure is Bedlam,” said Spates, who is 4-29-2 against OSU in his 15 years as Sooners’ coach. “What we wanted was just effort and fight. If you come to wrestle and wrestle hard for seven minutes, win, lose or draw, you’re a man and good things can happen.”

OSU coach John Smith had a feeling that trouble was imminent for his team.

“The last couple of days it looked like we had a sorry attitude,” Smith said. “We seemed to be doing the very bare minimum out there to survive. Give credit to OU. They have to do something to beat you and they did.”

The two sides decided to draw for the match’s starting position instead of the traditional 125-pound starting weight. When it came up 184, it was to OU’s advantage.

Weitzel, ranked seventh, caught OSU’s Jack Jensen in a cradle position and pulled him down to get the fall.

“I really didn’t feel I had to go out and set the tempo. We’re in a situation where our guys were prepared and knew what we had to do,” Weitzel said. “I didn’t know I had the pin until (match referee) Mr. (Kenny) Ritchie called it. I thought I was getting closer and closer to it, but I wasn’t sure.”

Senior Joel Flaggert followed with a 9-6 decision over Clayton Foster at 197 pounds to give OU a 9-0 lead. After Jared Rosholt’s 8-3 win at heavyweight gave OSU (16-3-1) its first win of the match, Fio delivered the turning point win for OU (14-5).

Fio fought off Tyler Shinn’s takedown attempt in the final 15 seconds to post a 3-2 win and give OU a 12-3 lead.

“He just fought hard, so hard,” Spates said. “A lot of the matches were just hard fought, gut-check type matches. I’m very proud of that.”

Those hard-fought matches that didn’t go OU’s way on the scoreboard did not benefit OSU either. The Cowboys did not record a bonus-point victory. OSU’s three top-five ranked wrestlers -- Coleman Scott, Nathan Morgan and Jake Dieffenbach -- only managed victories by decision at 133, 141 and 165.

When OSU needed a fall from Brandon Mason at 174 just to tie the final score, Mason could only muster a 7-0 decision over Chris Devilbiss. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

WRESTLING: OU GETS FIRST WIN OVER OSU SINCE 1995

The OU Daily By M.J. Casiano Feb. 24, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. -- The underdog No. 17 OU grapplers earned an unlikely victory Thursday over No. 3 Oklahoma State.

It marked the first time since 1995 that the Sooners won a Bedlam matchup. OSU defeated OU 21-9 in the first installment of this season’s rivalry on Dec. 2.

The 1,734 fans that witnessed the underdog victory was the largest crowds attend a match on the mats in Norman this season.

Entering the final match of the evening, the 174-pound class, the Pokes could pull off a tie with a pin. The Sooners’ Jeff James — OU’s starter at 174 — tore connective tissue in his knee in the Feb. 15, and he was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Ju- nior Chris DeVilbiss stepped up, attempting to keep No. 8 Brandon Mason from earning six for the tie.

“This match was never over, and Chris fought hard,” said OU head coach Jack Spates.

Though the DeVilbiss lost the match, he only allowed Mason to earn three points, and the Sooners officially recorded the upset.

With the 18-15 win, OU (14-5, 1-4 Big 12) notched its first Bedlam dual since Nov. 28, 1995.

“The loss isn’t nearly as disappointing as the fact that we just didn’t show up,” said Cowboys’ head coach John Smith.

OU’s No. 6 Joshua Weitzel opened the evening by notching six points in the 184-pound class, giving the Sooners the early lead. Okla- homa State (16-3-1, 2-2-1 Big 12) was down 18-9 after a decision by OU’s No. 17 Chad Terry at 157 pounds.

But OSU did not give up.

After a decision by OSU’s No. 5 Jake Dieffanbach at 165 pounds, the Pokes brought the score to a reasonable 18-12 OU lead. How- ever, the earlier wins by No. 17 Will Rowe and No. 9 Joel Flaggert at 157 and 197, respectively, made the six-point margin heading into the final match nearly insurmountable.

The next action for both teams will be the Big 12 Championships on Saturday, March 8 in Stillwater, Okla. OKLAHOMA SOONER WRESTLING

Sooners finally win Bedlam

By Scott Moore The Norman Transcript

Jack Spates paced back and forth. He’d glance at the clock, then the mat, then the clock, then the mat, etc.

When the buzzer sounded, ending the 174-pound match, Spates stretched both arms out and pointed at Chris DeVilbiss. He had just lost, but it was possibly the sweetest defeat Spates had ever witnessed.

The No. 17 Sooners split the 10 matches against No. 3 Oklahoma State Thursday at Howard McCasland Field House, but OU scored the only bonus points of the night and beat the Cowboys 18-15.

In the final bout of the night at 174, the Sooners led by six and all DeVilbiss had to do was not get pinned by OSU’s eighth-ranked Brandon Mason. He didn’t, losing 7-0.

“I’m proud of these guys. They just fought hard,” Spates said. “This win is a big relief.”

OU improved to 14-5 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12 Conference. It was the Sooners’ first conference win in two seasons. Oklahoma State dropped to 16-3-1 and 2-2-1.

“I guess you guys want to talk about our one-match winning streak,” Spates joked at the press conference.

The win was OU’s first over OSU since a 19-18 victory in 1996 — a span of 27 matches. The Cowboys had a streak of 19 straight wins over the Sooners.

“We shouldn’t feel any pressure because of the streak. The streak is on them,” Spates said.

Sixth-ranked Josh Weitzel’s pin of Jack Jensen at 184 to start the dual proved to be the difference.

“I didn’t know I had the pin,” Weitzel said. “I knew I was getting close. I was kind of shocked when (the referee) hit the mat.”

Said OSU coach John Smith: “The loss is not nearly as disappointing as the fact that we just didn’t seem to show up. It seemed like some of them found a reason to not compete well.”

It was the final home appearance for seniors Weitzel, No. 9 Joel Flaggert and Max Dean.

After Weitzel’s win, Flaggert followed with a 9-6 win over Clayton Foster at 197 pounds. Then No. 17 Joey Fio edged No. 14 Tyler Shinn 3-2 at 125 to give OU a 12-0 lead.

Other Sooner winners were No. 17 Will Rowe at 149 and No. 17 Chad Terry at 157. Rowe’s 7-2 win over Ryan followed by Terry’s 4-0 win over Neil Erisman gave OU an 18-9 lead with two bouts left.