OSU News


OSU WRESTLING: Wrestler Clayton Foster is starting to blossom
Top recruit faces another ranked opponent tonight

BY Matt Patterson
Published: February 7, 2009
Buzz up!

STILLWATER — When Oklahoma State coach John Smith plucked Clayton Foster out of the Idaho high school ranks two years ago, he knew he was getting someone special.


OSU’s Clayton Foster, right, is 3-1 against ranked opponents this season. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Foster (197) had been considered by some to be the top recruit in the country coming out of high school. After an up and down true freshman season, he’s developing into one of the top wrestlers in the country.

Foster upset Nebraska’s No. 2 ranked Craig Brester Thursday night in a 5-2 decision and will face Missouri’s No. 4 ranked Max Askren tonight, taking a 3-1 record against ranked opponents into the match.

"I get a little more excited for these matches and I get more aggressive,” Foster said. "You need to attack knowing these guys are ranked.”

Upset special
One reason the Cowboys have lost five duals can be traced to their struggles with picking up bonus points, but also because individual upsets have been few and far between this season. For some OSU wrestlers who are early in their careers, upsets are more about taking steps in the right direction.

"If I’m a guy like Jamal Parks who is ranked 15th and I’m wrestling the third-ranked guy, then that’s a match I need to win if I am going to get to that level,” Smith said. "I need to replace those guys ahead of me and keep moving up.”

Matches to watch
Besides the Foster-Askren match, OSU’s No. 10 ranked Neil Erisman (157) will face No. 8 Michael Chandler and No. 10 ranked Brandon Mason (165) will face Mizzou’s Nick Marable. At heavyweight, OSU’s Jared Rosholt will try to re-gain his No. 1 ranking against Mark Ellis. Rosholt had been ranked in that spot prior to being upset by Iowa State’s David Zabriskie Jan. 25.

Working vacation
Prior to its duals with Nebraska and Missouri this week, Oklahoma State took a week-long break after a tough patch in their schedule that included top-ranked Iowa.

"It has been several years since we have had a break like this during the season,” coach John Smith said. "Normally this is not the case. We used it to train hard and raise the level of conditioning to where we need it to be at the end.”

"I get a little more excited for these matches and I get more aggressive.”

OSU’s Clayton Foster
On wrestling ranked opponents




Cowboy Wrestling Travels To Lincoln To Face No. 4 Nebraska Thursday
Courtesy: okstate.com
           Release: 02/04/2009

Cowboy Wrestling This Week

At No. 4 Nebraska

Feb. 5, 2009 :: 7 p.m.

Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb)

TV: None

Radio: 93.7 KSPI-FM (Roger Moore)

Live Audio Broadcast: okstate.com

---------------------------------------------------------

 

The Basics

Clayton Foster
View larger Courtesy: OstatePhoto.com

Clayton Foster

     The No. 15 Oklahoma State wrestling team (12-5 overall) travels north to battle No. 4 Nebraska at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Jan. 5 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The dual will be broadcast live on 93.7 KSPI-FM radio Stillwater with Roger Moore calling the action. The broadcast can also be accessed live online at www.okstate.com, as can live streaming video and live stats and play-by-play.

 

OSU vs. Top Five Opponents Under John Smith

     During the John Smith era, Oklahoma State has toppled 47 opponents that were ranked in the top five nationally at the time of the dual.

 

Series Capsule: Oklahoma State vs. Nebraska

Overall: OSU leads, 49-3-1

In Lincoln: OSU leads, 18-1-0

In Stillwater: OSU leads, 24-1-0

At Neutral: OSU leads, 7-1-1

John Smith vs. Nebraska: 20-2-1

Mark Manning vs. OSU: 1-9-0

 

Top-10 Clashes At Three Weight Classes

     Thursday’s dual is highlighted by top-10 matchups at 157 pounds between No. 10 Neil Erisman of OSU and No. 3 Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska, at 165 pounds between No. 10 Brandon Mason of OSU and No. 6 Stephen Dwyer of Nebraska and at 197 pounds between No. 8 Clayton Foster of OSU and No. 2 Craig Brester of Nebraska.

 

Head to Head Matchups

     As has been the case in most of OSU’s duals this year, there are very few previous head-to-head meetings to point to, with the lone clash coming between Clayton Foster and Craig Brester at 197 pounds. Brester won a 6-3 decision over Foster in their only meeting last year.

 

Cowboys Have Won 18 Straight Road Contests vs. Nebraska...

     Oklahoma State has won 18 consecutive duals over Nebraska in Lincoln and hasn’t suffered a road loss at the hands of the Huskers since dropping a 36-11 decision in 1921.

 

...But These Aren’t Your Father’s Huskers

     Oklahoma State has feasted on Nebraska throughout the years, but this edition of Husker wrestling is as good a team as that school has seen.

     The Huskers have dual wins over Missouri, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan and Northwestern to their credit already this year and have legitimate national title contenders wrestling at 157 pounds in Jordan Burroughs and at 197 pounds in Craig Brester. 165-pounder Stephen Dwyer, 174-pounder Brandon Browne also figure to be high All-Americans at the NCAA Championships.

 

Last Meeting vs. Nebraska - No. 3 Nebraska 22, No. 2 OSU 13

Jan. 20, 2008 :: Ford Center  (Oklahoma City)

125 - No. 4 Paul Donahoe (NEB) dec. Tyler Shinn (OSU); 8-6

133 – No. 1 Coleman Scott (OSU) dec. No. 8 Kenny Jordan (NEB); 2-0

141 – No. 2 Nathan Morgan (OSU) MD Robert Sanders (NEB); 21-9

149 – No. 7 Jordan Burroughs (NEB) MD Quinten Fuentes (OSU); 25-11

157 – No. 19 Chris Oliver (NEB) dec. No. 15 Newly McSpadden (OSU); 3-2

165 – No. 5 Jake Dieffenbach (OSU) dec. No. 8 Stephen Dwyer (NEB); 10-8 SV

174 – No. 6 Brandon Browne (NEB) dec. No. 2 Brandon Mason (OSU); 2-1

184 – No. 12 Vince Jones (NEB) fall Jack Jensen (OSU); 1:48

197 – No. 10 Craig Brester (NEB) dec. No. 20 Clayton Foster (OSU); 6-3

285 – No. 7 Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. No. 20 Jon May (NEB); 5-3

 

Rapid Fire Opponents

     Following Thursday’s dual with the Huskers, Oklahoma State returns home, where they will face No. 5 Missouri at 7 p.m. Saturday in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

 

Last Time Out - OSU 31, No. 22 Northern Iowa 3

165: Brandon Mason dec. No. 2 Moza Fay (UNI); 5-0

174: Newly McSpadden (OSU) dec. Scott Hazen (UNI); 8-2

184: Cody Hill (OSU) dec. No. 13 Alex Dolly (UNI); 8-6

197: C. Foster dec. No. 14 Andrew Anderson (UNI); 9-4

285: J. Rosholt fall No. 15 Christian Brantley (UNI); 2:17

125: Obenson Blanc (OSU) MD Cruse Aarhus (UNI); 12-4

133: Chris Notte (OSU) dec. Steven Fitzgerald (UNI); 6-2

141: Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. Trent Washington (UNI); 5-2

149: Brett Robbins (UNI) dec. Luke Silver (OSU); 6-5

157: Neil Erisman (OSU) dec. Tyson Reiner (UNI); 4-2

 

Rosholt The Outstanding Wrestler At Virginia Duals

     Jared Rosholt was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Virginia Duals after going a perfect 4-0 with two of the wins coming by pin and one by major decision. Rosholt did not allow a single point against him in any of his four bouts and he beat a ranked opponent along the way. Other notable wrestlers at the event who Rosholt beat out for Outstanding Wrestler honors included top-ranked 157-pounder Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro and No. 2-ranked 125-pounder Paul Donahoe of Edinboro.

 

Mason Hits The 100-Win Mark

     Cowboy 165-pounder Brandon Mason hit a career milestone when he won his 100th career bout when he pinned Navy’s Jason Coyne at the Virginia Duals. Mason enters the Nebraska dual with a 102-38 career record. He is the 32nd OSU wrestler to win 100 bouts and he is the 19th to do it under the coaching of John Smith.

 

Pin Total Already Surpasses Last Year’s Season Mark

     Entering the Nebraska dual, OSU has registered 95 pins, surpassing last year’s season total of 84.

     From an individual perspective, Jared Rosholt leads the Cowboys with 12 wins by fall. Quinten Fuentes and Jordan Oliver both have nine wins by fall to tie for second on the team. To put those figures into perspective, Rosholt led last year’s team with seven pins.

 

Rosholt A Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

     Jared Rosholt won his first-ever Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honor when he claimed the award on Dec. 22 after knocking off a pair of ranked opponents on the way to winning the Reno Tournament of Champions.

     Rosholt beat No. 7 Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield by a 13-5 major decision before handing No. 15 Konrad Dudziak of Duke a 5-4 defeat in the title bout.

 

Catching Up With The Redshirts

     Of the wrestlers pegged to redshirt this season, 125/133-pounder Jordan Oliver and 165-pounder Alex Meade have risen to the top.

     Oliver is 19-1 with nine wins by fall, two by major decision and five by technical fall.

     Meade sports a 19-2 overall record that includes two wins by fall, nine by major decision and two wins by technical fall.               

     Meade and Oliver have combined for five open tournament titles this year (three for Oliver, two for Meade) and neither of the two Cowboy freshmen have placed any lower than third in an open tournament this year.

 

Top-Notch Recruiting Class On The Way

     Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith announced the signing of eight student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. The incoming class of signees is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiting classes and is heavy on in-state recruits.

     The incoming class is highlighted by Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater), Jon Morrison (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), Dallas Bailey (Catoosa, Okla./Catoosa) and Albert White (Lynwood, Ill./Northern Iowa Area Community College), all of whom are considered blue chip national recruits. Both Perry and Morrison are ranked by major national publications as the No. 1 wrestlers in their respective weight classes going into their senior year, with Bailey ranked as the preseason No. 2 prep in the nation in his weight class. White is a 2008 junior college national champion who was 200-4 during his prep career at St. Rita HS in Chicago and has a Fargo national title on his resume.

     Perry (No. 3), Bailey (No. 6) and Morrison (No. 9) are all ranked among revwrestling.com’s top 10 recruits in the nation, regardless of weight class. No other school in the country has more than one wrestler from that list signed as part of this year’s class.

     This year’s group of prep wrestlers in the state of Oklahoma is considered to be one of the best in recent memory, and the Cowboys succeeded in keeping the homegrown talent in-state, with Perry, Bailey, Blake Rosholt (Ponca City HS), Ladd Rupp (Perry HS), Stephen Swan (Perry HS) and Zach White (Woodward HS) all signing on to continue their wrestling careers at Oklahoma State.


Wrestling coach eager for OSU's return to dominance

By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
Published: 1/20/2009  2:20 AM
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith wasn't happy when it was mentioned his Cowboys were underdogs against top-ranked Iowa on Sunday.

The Hawkeyes, OSU's greatest rival in collegiate wrestling, beat the Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena, 20-13. Iowa had lost nine straight duals to OSU, including last year's loss in Iowa City before nearly 16,000 fans when the Hawkeyes were ranked No. 1 and unbeaten.

This year there would be no upset, another word that Smith doesn't like.

And he doesn't need you to remind him that O-State is in a wrestling slump, two years without winning a national championship.

In fact, the Cowboys aren't even ranked in the top 10.

Just four years ago, OSU had perhaps the greatest team in college wrestling history — five of the 10 national champions were Cowboys.

Now, the Cowboys have just one top-ranked wrestler, heavyweight Jared Rosholt.

There is no easy answer to what happened to OSU wrestling. It is a combination of a slump in Oklahoma high school wrestling talent that hit just as several major college programs were enjoying a wrestling rebirth.

But here's what you really need to know about Oklahoma State wrestling. Smith doesn't plan on being in this spot very long. He expects OSU to be back in the national title fight pretty fast.

"I'm in a big hurry to get it back there, too," Smith said.

It isn't likely to be this season. OSU, now with four dual losses on the season and ranked 13th, does not have the firepower to challenge the Hawkeyes or other highly ranked teams like Cornell and Iowa State.

Still, Smith, as one would expect from one of the most determined wrestlers in history, won't concede this season.

"I don't preach the underdog role, never have and never will," Smith said. "It may be where we are right now but I don't like it.

"I sell kids on the high expectations we have for Oklahoma State wrestling. That's what we are always going to do. I do not want to be in this role as the underdog. We haven't been in this role very often."

Smith has coached the Cowboys to five national team championships. Earlier this decade, Smith led the Cowboys to a dominating four straight NCAA Championships.

OSU was nearly untouchable during that period.

But OSU's decline has kind of mirrored the decline in the number of blue-chip recruits in the state.

O-State's last national champ from the state was Johny Hendricks in 2005 and 2006.

Traditionally, OSU's best teams have been loaded with Oklahomans.

"Normally, we believe we need about 50 percent of our team from Oklahoma," Smith said. "The last really good class was the year Johny came out of high school,

"So we are very dependent on our state for wrestlers. That's what we've built this program on. Yes, we recruit from all over. But we really, really need Oklahoma high school wrestling to be very good for us to be very good."

That's why things are looking up. Rosholt is from Ponca City. Tulsan Jamal Parks, a super freshman at 141, is considered a budding star.

And OSU has landed all the stars from one of the most talented crop of Oklahoma high school wrestlers in recent memory. Chris Perry of Stillwater, Dallas Bailey of Catoosa, Blake Rosholt of Ponca City, Ladd Rupp of Perry, Stephen Swan of Perry and Zach White of Woodward have all signed one with OSU and will be in the wrestling room next fall.

In addition, OSU has landed blue-chippers Jon Morrison of Illinois and Albert White of Northern Iowa Area Community College.

Help is on the way. And as everyone knows, Smith is just as driven as a coach as he was when he won two Olympic gold medals.

"These things go in cycles," Smith said. "At the same time, I don't like it. But, these are the kind of years that make you a better coach.

"We just have to work through some issues. It is probably not as painful as I make it sound sometimes. But, everyone knows our expectations here are very high."To read John Klein's blog, see
tulsaworld.com/sportsextra



Cowboy Wrestling Renews Its Rivalry With No. 1 Iowa In Stillwater Sunday
Courtesy: okstate.com
           Release: 01/14/2009

Cowboy Wrestling This Week

No. 1 Iowa

Sun., Jan. 18, 2009 :: 2 p.m. :: Gallagher-Iba Arena :: 13,611 capacity

TV: None

Radio: 93.7 KSPI-FM (Rex Holt and Roger Moore)

Live Streaming Video: okstate.com

Live Audio Broadcast: okstate.com

Live Stats and Play-by-Plays: okstate.com

 

 

The Basics

     The No. 13 Oklahoma State wrestling team (11-3 overall) hosts top-ranked undefeated reigning NCAA champion Iowa (14-0 overall) at 2 p.m. Sunday in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

 

Ticket Information

     Tickets are available for Sunday’s dual at a cost of $12. Oklahoma State students are admitted free of charge with valid identification.

 

On The Air

     The dual will be broadcast live on 93.7 KSPI-FM radio Stillwater with Rex Holt and Roger Moore calling the action. The broadcast can also be accessed live online at www.okstate.com, as can live streaming video and live stats and play-by-play.

 

Series Capsule: Oklahoma State vs. Iowa

Overall: OSU leads, 25-16-1

In Stillwater: OSU leads, 11-5-1

In Iowa City: OSU leads, 10-9-0

At Neutral: OSU leads, 4-2

John Smith vs. Iowa: 14-5-0

Tom Brands vs. OSU: 0-2-0

 

Oklahoma State vs. No. 1

     Top-ranked Iowa enters Sunday’s dual flying high after sweeping the competition at the National Duals last week, but the Hawkeyes should beware of the Cowboys, who have a history of knocking off teams ranked No. 1 in the nation. OSU owns 11 wins all-time against the top-ranked team in the nation, including a 19-14 win against the No. 1 Hawkeyes last season.

                Under John Smith, Oklahoma State has toppled No. 1 on four different occasions.

 

Oklahoma State Victories Over Teams Ranked No. 1 At Time Of Dual

1/5/2008 :: No. 6 Oklahoma State 19, No. 1 Iowa 14 :: Away

1/3/2003 :: No. 2 Oklahoma State 26, No. 1 Minnesota 6 :: Away

12/2/2000 :: No. 4 Oklahoma State 21, No. 1 Iowa 14 :: Home

1/19/1997 :: No. 2 Oklahoma State 21, No. 1 Iowa 13 :: Neutral

2/3/1990 :: No. 2 Oklahoma State 19, No. 1 Arizona State 13 :: Home

1/13/1990 :: No. 2 Oklahoma State 24, No. 1 Arizona State 19 :: Neutral

1/23/1988 :: No. 2 Oklahoma State 22, No. 1 Arizona State 15 :: Home

2/10/1984 :: No. 2 Oklahoma State 24, No. 1 Iowa 6 :: Home

12/18/1982 :: No. 3 Oklahoma State 27, No. 1 Iowa 23 :: Away

1/21/1978 :: No. 2 Oklahoma State 20, No. 1 Iowa State 18 :: Away

1/24/1977 :: No. 3 Oklahoma State 20, No. 1 Iowa State 14 :: Home

 

Last Meeting: No. 6 Oklahoma State 19, No. 1 Iowa 14

Jan. 5, 2008 :: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City) :: 14,332 attendance

125: No 5 Charlie Falck (Iowa) dec, Ben Ashmore; 7-5

133: No. 1 Coleman Scott dec. No. 2 Joe Slaton (Iowa); 8-6

141: No. 6 Nathan Morgan dec. No. 10 Dan LeClere (Iowa); 8-4

149: No. 2 Brent Metcalf  (Iowa) maj. dec. Quinten Fuentes; 20-8

157: No. 14 Newly McSpadden dec. No. 19 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa); 4-2

165: No. 9 Jake Dieffenbach dec. No. 2 Mark Perry (Iowa); 5-3

174: No. 4 Brandon Mason dec. No. 11 Jay Borschel (Iowa); 2-0

184: No. 12 Phillip Keddy (Iowa) maj. dec. Cody Hill; 12-2

197: Clayton Foster maj. dec. Rick Loera (Iowa); 12-1

285: No. 8 Matt Fields (Iowa) dec. No. 4 Jared Rosholt; 4-3

 

Oklahoma State and Iowa: Unmatched Success

     No other collegiate sport features a rivalry quite like the one shared by Oklahoma State and Iowa in wrestling because when the two teams take the mat, they represent programs that have combined to win a staggering 55 NCAA team titles (34 for OSU, 21 for Iowa). Additionally, the two programs have combined for 208 NCAA individual champions (133 for OSU, 75 for Iowa) and 695 All-Americans (422 for OSU, 273 for Iowa).

 

Oklahoma State vs. Iowa Since 2000-01 Season

12/2/2000 :: OSU 21, Iowa 14 :: Stillwater

1/11/2002 :: OSU 21, Iowa 15 :: Iowa City

1/12/2003 :: OSU, 24, Iowa 15 :: Stillwater

1/11/2004 :: OSU 30, Iowa 10 :: Iowa City

1/16/2005 :: OSU 26, Iowa 12 :: Stillwater

1/7/2006 :: OSU 18, Iowa 14 :: Iowa City

1/13/2007 :: OSU 22, Iowa 13 :: Cedar Falls

1/19/2007 :: OSU 21, Iowa 11 :: Stillwater

1/5/2008 :: OSU 19, Iowa 14 :: Iowa City

 

Cowboys 277-69-5 All-Time vs. Ranked Opponents

     Oklahoma State has feasted on ranked opposition throughout its history. The Amateur Wrestling News has produced college rankings since the 1974-75 season. Since that time, Oklahoma State is 277-69-5 vs. ranked opponents (79.6 winning percentage).

 

Rosholt The Outstanding Wrestler At Virginia Duals

     Jared Rosholt was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Virginia Duals after going a perfect 4-0 with two of the wins coming by pin and one by major decision. Rosholt did not allow a single point against him in any of his four bouts and he beat a ranked opponent along the way. Other notable wrestlers at the event who Rosholt beat out for Outstanding Wrestler honors included top-ranked 157-pounder Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro and No. 2-ranked 125-pounder Paul Donahoe of Edinboro.

 

Mason Hits The 100-Win Mark

     Cowboy 165-pounder Brandon Mason hit a career milestone when he won his 100th career bout when he pinned Navy’s Jason Coyne at the Virginia Duals. Mason enters the Iowa dual with a 101-36 career record. He is the 32nd OSU wrestler to win 100 bouts and he is the 19th to do it under the guidance of coach John Smith.

 

Blanc Is Next In Line To Hit 100

     With a 95-39 career record, 125-pounder Obenson Blanc is next in line to hit the century mark for his career. Blanc compiled an 88-32 record in his three years at Lock Haven to go with his 17-7 mark at OSU this year.

 

Pin Total Already Surpasses Last Year’s Season Mark

     Entering the Iowa dual, OSU has registered 90 pins, surpassing last year’s season total of 84.

                From an individual perspective, Jared Rosholt leads the Cowboys with 11 wins by fall. Quinten Fuentes and Jordan Oliver both have nine wins by fall to tie for second on the team. To put those figures into perspective, Rosholt led last year’s team with seven pins.

 

Rosholt A Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

     Jared Rosholt won his first-ever Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honor when he claimed the award on Dec. 22 after knocking off a pair of ranked opponents on the way to winning the Reno Tournament of Champions.

     Rosholt beat No. 7 Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield by a 13-5 major decision before handing No. 15 Konrad Dudziak of Duke a 5-4 defeat in the title bout.

 

Catching Up With The Redshirts

     Of the wrestlers pegged to redshirt this season, 165-pounder Alex Meade and 125/133-pounder Jordan Oliver have risen to the top.

     Meade sports a 19-2 overall record that includes two wins by fall, nine by major decision and two wins by technical fall. Oliver is 16-1 with nine wins by fall, one by major decision and four by technical fall.

     Meade and Oliver have won championships at two open tournaments apiece and neither of the two Cowboy freshmen have placed any lower than third in an open tournament this year.

 

Top-Notch Recruiting Class On The Way

     Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith announced the signing of eight student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. The incoming class of signees is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiting classes and is heavy on in-state recruits.

     The incoming class is highlighted by Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater), Jon Morrison (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), Dallas Bailey (Catoosa, Okla./Catoosa) and Albert White (Lynwood, Ill./Northern Iowa Area Community College), all of whom are considered blue chip national recruits. Both Perry and Morrison are ranked by major national publications as the No. 1 wrestlers in their respective weight classes going into their senior year, with Bailey ranked as the preseason No. 2 prep in the nation in his weight class. White is a 2008 junior college national champion who was 200-4 during his prep career at St. Rita HS in Chicago and has a Fargo national title on his resume.

     Perry (No. 3), Bailey (No. 6) and Morrison (No. 9) are all ranked among revwrestling.com’s top 10 recruits in the nation, regardless of weight class. No other school in the country has more than one wrestler from that list signed as part of this year’s class.

     This year’s group of prep wrestlers in the state of Oklahoma is considered to be one of the best in recent memory, and the Cowboys succeeded in keeping the homegrown talent in-state, with Perry, Bailey, Blake Rosholt (Ponca City HS), Ladd Rupp (Perry HS), Stephen Swan (Perry HS) and Zach White (Woodward HS) all signing on to continue their wrestling careers at Oklahoma State.





Oklahoma State captures team title at Reno Tournament of Champions

Roger Moore For TheMat.com
12/19/2008
Related Links
RENO, Nev. – Oklahoma State crowned just one champion – 285-pounder Jared Rosholt - but had enough to hold off Edinboro for the team title at the 14th Reno Tournament of Champions on Thursday.

The Cowboys totaled 146.5 points, placing eight among the top six, outdistancing the Fighting Scots by 14 points. Edinboro had three champions and eight among the top six.

North Carolina (94), Bakersfield (87.5) and Navy (79) rounded out the top five in the 30-team field.

“With this team, any win is a good win,” said O-State head coach John Smith. “It’s been a long week for us, a lot of traveling. We had some guys have pretty good tournaments. At the end of the day it isn’t what I was hoping for.

“Conditioning-wise, we aren’t where we need to be, but some of that probably has to do with the travel.”

The Cowboys beat Cal Poly on Tuesday night in San Luis Obispo before showing up in Reno on Wednesday afternoon.

Rosholt, the No. 1-ranked heavyweight in the country, survived a major scare in the finals against Duke’s Konrad Dudziak. The Cowboy junior appeared to be in control, taking a 4-0 lead into the final two minutes. But Dudziak scored a takedown, received a stalling point and nearly had a takedown at the edge of the mat as the final buzzer sounded in a 5-4 match.

Four Oklahoma State wrestlers lost in the finals, including Obe Blanc, who fell to top-seeded Anthony Robles of Arizona State in the 125-pound finals. Robles, named the Outstanding Wrestler, had two technical falls, a pin, a major and a 9-2 decision of Blanc in the finals.

“Obe is tough, I have a lot of respect for him,” said Robles, who was a win away from being an All-American in 2008. “I knew I had to go tough for seven minutes because he is a former All-American and those are the guys I have to beat to reach my goals.”

Arizona State also crowned Chris Drouin, who beat Oklahoma State’s Jamal Parks in the 141-pound finale. Parks appeared to have a victory with a third-period takedown, but Drouin scored with a double-leg attack in the final 10 seconds to force overtime where he scored with another double-leg shot for a 7-5 victory.

Edinboro had a solid day, crowning Gregor Gillespie (157), Jared King (165) and Chris Honeycutt (184).

Gillespie, a three-time All-American and national champ two seasons ago, beat O-State’s Neil Erisman, 8-0, in his finals bout.

A handful of teams sat out many starters, including Edinboro.

“I don’t know why guys wouldn’t come to this tournament … maybe they want an early Christmas break,” said Gillespie, who survived a scare from North Carolina’s Thomas Scotton in the quarterfinals. “I’d rather be here, you have to make weight one time so that can’t be it.

“I underestimated (Scotton). Sometimes it’s hard for me to get going, but our new coach (Kyle Cerminara) really gets me going.”

King, the top seed at 165, handled O-State’s Brandon Mason, 4-2, in his finals match.

Honeycutt was never really challenged all day, beating Wyoming freshman Joe LeBlanc, 4-1, in the finals.

The top seed won seven of the weight classes.

O-State’s Clayton Foster, the top seed at 197, lost a heartbreaker to California-Bakersfield’s Brandon Halsey. Foster scored a takedown in the final 15 seconds for a 7-6 lead, but Halsey, who beat Rosholt in the 215-pound Junior freestyle finals in Fargo in 2004, turned Foster’s cheap-tilt attempt into a headlock for a reversal and three near-fall points. Riding time gave Halsey a 12-7 victory.

Halsey, ineligible a year ago, made it stand up with three more wins and the title. He beat Stanford’s Luke Feist, 6-3, in the finals.
Another unseeded wrestler, Nebraska-Kearney’s Kamarudeen Usman, upset No. 1 seed Austin Trotman of Appalachian State in the 174-pound semifinals. However, Usman lost to Navy’s Luke Rebertus in the finals.

The Midshipmen also saw top-seeded Bryce Saddoris win a title, beating unseeded Nick Stabile of North Carolina, 7-4, in the finals at 149.
California-Fullerton’s TJ Dillashaw, seeded No. 1 at 133, survived three close matches on his way to a title. He beat Edinboro’s Ricky Deubel, 3-1, in the finals.

OSU’s Foster defaulted out of the tournament after his loss to Halsey. Kevin Wainscott, an unattached entry at 174 for Smith, also defaulted out of the tournament and Cody Hill, OSU’s entry at 174, battled an injury in his final match in the consolations.

Newly McSpadden, the starter at 157, lost to Cal Poly’s Chase Pami on Tuesday. Neither competed on Thursday.

“There is some concern right now with some of the injuries,” Smith said.

The iron-man award goes to OSU’s Jared Shelton. The 184-pound senior was pinned in his first match but won seven straight to take third.

Teammate Chris McNeil, unattached at 184, hammered Liberty’s Chris Daggett in the first round then proceeded to reach the semifinals before falling to LeBlanc. McNeil was fifth.

OSU’s Chris Notte took Dillishaw to the wire in the semifinals before losing a 7-5 match. He came back to beat Bakersfield’s Thomas Kimbrell for third.

“I liked what Chris Notte did, he had a good tournament,” said Smith. “For Jared (Shelton) to come back the way he did is good and Chris (McNeil) had a good showing.”



Oklahoma edges Oklahoma State to win second straight Bedlam Dual

Roger Moore For TheMat.com
12/07/2008
 NORMAN, Okla. – A pin in the opening match sparked the University of Oklahoma to an 18-15 victory over rival Oklahoma State last February.

It broke a 19-match losing streak in the rivalry known as the “Bedlam Series” that has included 159 meetings.

On Sunday in Norman on the same mat inside McCasland Fieldhouse, an injury default at 133 pounds – the dual’s second bout – gave the Sooners a 9-0 advantage and they would never look back in beating the Cowboys, 18-15, for a second straight time.

Sooner head coach Jack Spates, whose club entered the dual ranked 20th, beat an O-State team for just the third time in 34 tries.

“We are proud of two wins in a row over a great program like Oklahoma State,” said Spates, whose team improved to 4-0. “Bedlam is a very emotional match and I am extremely proud of our guys for getting the win.”

Each team won five matches with the only bonus points coming at 133 pounds where Oklahoma State’s 12th-ranked Tyler Shinn had to default due to a shoulder injury. Shinn took down OU’s David Armstrong early, but during the Sooner’s escape the Cowboy junior hurt his shoulder. After three injury timeouts, Shinn (6-3) could not continue and OU led 9-0.

Joey Fio, ranked 17th, opened the dual with a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 8 Obenson Blanc at 125 pounds. Fio (6-2) avoided numerous takedown attempts from Blanc during regulation, then after a scoreless one minute, rode out the first 30-second overtime period. An escape midway through the second 30-second session gave Fio the mild upset over the past All-American.

“A win is a win,” Fio said. “Not always does everything go your way in a match. I tried to be aggressive and score some points but it just wasn’t working. Anyways, got the win and it feels good.

“Anytime you beat OSU it feels great. Oklahoma State is a good team and we came out and wrestled hard tonight.”

The Cowboys (5-2) bounced back when redshirt-freshman Jamal Parks (10-2) scored four takedowns with low-level attacks to beat 12th-ranked Zack Bailey, 10-7, at 141 pounds.

Kyle Terry’s 10-3 victory over Luke Silver at 149 gave the hosts a 12-3 advantage. Terry, ranked 15th, moved to 12-1 for the season.
At 157, senior Newly McSpadden (9-1), ranked 12th, then won a wild 6-5 decision against No. 14 Shane Vernon to pull O-State to within, 12-6, and fellow senior Brandon Mason (11-1) battled his way to a 1-0 victory over redshirt-freshman Ryan Smith at 165.

OU took control on the scoreboard at 174 and 184.

The Sooners’ ninth-ranked Jeff James (9-1) trailed 3-2 after one period at 174. A reversal gave James a 4-3 lead entering the final two minutes where he would be hit for stalling from the top position twice to tie the bout. OSU’s Kyle Griffin would escape in the final 20 seconds, but James would immediately hit a double leg for a takedown and a 6-5 advantage. Riding time gave James the 7-5 victory.

“I just continued to fight hard and concentrate on going the whole seven minutes,” James said. “The win feels good after not wrestling last year against (OSU) because of my injury.”

Down 15-9, the Cowboys needed some fireworks from senior Jared Shelton at 184. However, sophomore Pat Flynn (12-1) won a wild scramble late in the first period for a 2-0 lead. An old-fashioned switch worked for a reversal, then a far-side cradle sent Shelton to his back for three near-fall points and a 7-0 advantage through two periods. Flynn would eventually win 7-2 and Oklahoma led 18-9 with two bouts to wrestle.

“It is nice to pick up a win in my first Bedlam,” said Flynn, a Pennsylvania product. “Winning two straight means a lot against a team like OSU. We came out and earned it tonight. I believe it was the first time in 15 seasons OU has won back-to-back against OSU. We hope to start our own streak now.”

Clayton Foster, ranked 15th at 197, built a 7-2 lead on No. 8 Eric Lapotsky, and appeared headed for a major decision before getting caught in a cradle over the final 20 seconds. Foster (12-0) avoided the fall with a late reversal, and a riding time point gave the sophomore a 12-9 win. It was Lapotsky’s first loss in 13 matches this season.

In order to escape Norman with a tie, OSU needed No. 1 Jared Rosholt (12-0) to pin Nathan Fernandez. A solid 8-2 decision was not enough, however, and OU beat OSU for the just the 26th time in 159 matches.

Weekend wrestling duels feature Bedlam matchup in Norman

13423
Zach Gray/O’Collegian

Junior heavyweight Jared Rosholt and the Cowboys look to continue to their winning ways against Northern Colorado and Oklahoma over the weekend.

By Greg Gotcher
Sports Writer
Published: December 05, 2008

The OSU wrestling team is preparing for two tough duels this weekend as Northern Colorado University comes to Stillwater tonight before the Cowboys travel to Norman for Bedlam on Sunday.

The Cowboys and the Bears have met 10 times with OSU holding a 9-0-1 record. NCU has traveled to Stillwater six times and have yet to win in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Coach John Smith said the wrestlers aren’t taking the match lightly, but they haven’t looked at NCU or OU because they have been focusing on themselves.

“We haven’t even focused on Northern Colorado or Oklahoma,” Smith said. “We talked about the week and what was going to occur, but we really focused on ourselves and where we were falling short technically and mentally in a match.”

Junior heavyweight Jared Rosholt echoed Smith.

“We’ve been working hard and focusing,” Rosholt said. “We’re not really paying attention to how they’re doing. We’re just working on our own stuff. If we wrestle good we can beat anybody.”

The Cowboys will rest on Saturday before heading to Norman for Bedlam. The Oklahoma rivals have dominated Big 12 wrestling, claiming 55 of the 76 conference titles.

The Cowboys hold a 124-25-9 overall record against OU and look to add another victory after losing the last Bedlam match. The Sooner victory last season ended the Cowboys’ 19-match winning streak in the series.

If OSU wins on Sunday, it will give the Cowboys a 100-win advantage over the Sooners in the schools’ all-time series.

Rosholt is one of two returning OSU wrestlers who claimed a victory in the bedlam match last season. Senior Brandon Mason is the other. Rosholt said he is looking forward to wrestling sophomore Nathan Fernandez again.

“I’ve beat (Fernandez) every time I’ve wrestled him and I feel like I’m wrestling the best I ever have, so I don’t think it should be a problem,” Rosholt said. “I’m not going to over look him, but I’m not going to give him too much respect either.”

Rosholt and Fernandez are the only two wrestlers who have previously faced each other. Smith said he can’t remember another time in his wrestling or coaching career where OU and OSU have battled it out with nine wrestlers who haven’t faced each other at some point in their collegiate career.

Senior Jared Shelton hasn’t wrestled OU since his sophomore year. He said he is looking forward to regaining the Bedlam bragging rights.

“I think it was an upset this year in football, and you hear all the crap from all your buddies that are OU fans,” Shelton said. “I always come back with ‘what’d you guys do this year in wrestling?’”

Shelton will most likely face senior Ryan Johnson, but OU junior Josh Hinton might be a good alternative for the Sooners.

Shelton and Hinton were friends while attending Sand Springs High School, and even roomed together in Stillwater before Hinton received a scholarship offer from OU.

However, Shelton said whoever steps on the mat for OU should expect a loss.

 
Cowboy Wrestling Hosts Northern Colorado At 6 p.m. Friday
Courtesy: okstate.com
           Release: 12/02/2008

bullet Complete Release in PDF Format

Cowboy Wrestling This Week
Northern Colorado
Dec. 5, 2008 :: 6 p.m. :: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611 capacity)

TV........................................................None
Radio...................................................93.7 KSPI FM
Play-by-Play........................................Rex Holt
Analysis...............................................Roger Moore
Internet Radio........................................okstate.com
Live Streaming Video............................okstate.com
Live Stats And Play-by-Play.................okstate.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Basics
  The Oklahoma State wrestling team (4-1 overall) hosts Northern Colorado (1-2-1 overall) at 6 p.m. Friday in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Please note that the start time was moved from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. The move is made to help wrestling fans avoid some of the congestion anticipated around the OSU Athletics Center with the Class 6A High School Football Championship game being played in Boone Pickens Stadium at 7 p.m.

On The Air
  The dual will be broadcast live on 93.7 KSPI-FM radio Stillwater with Rex Holt and Roger Moore calling the action. The broadcast can also be accessed live online at the official web site of Oklahoma State athletics, www.okstate.com.

Live Streaming Video Online
  As an additional service to Cowboy wrestling fans, the dual will be streamed live online at the official web site of Oklahoma State athletics, www.okstate.com. The live video will incorporate the audio from KSPI’s broadcast.

Live Stats and Play-by-Play Available Online As Well
  Live play-by-play stats and match results will be available on www.okstate.com.

Series History
  Oklahoma State and Northern Colorado have met 10 times through the years, with the Cowboys owning a 9-0-1 all-time series advantage. In Stillwater, Oklahoma State is 6-0-0 all-time vs. Northern Colorado.

OSU Has Won 73 Straight Duals vs. Unranked Teams
  Northern Colorado enters Friday’s dual unranked. The Cowboys have feasted on unranked opponents, winning each of their last 73 duals vs. unranked opposition. Oklahoma State’s last loss to an unranked opponent was a 22-17 defeat at the hands of Illinois in Stillwater on Feb. 21, 1993. That loss is the only OSU defeat at the hands of an unranked opponent in Gallagher-Iba Arena since the inception of the Amateur Wrestling News team rankings in 1974.

Last Time vs. Northern Colorado
  One would have to go back to Feb. 1, 1979 to find the last dual meet between Oklahoma State and Northern Colorado. The Cowboys won that dual, 24-21, with wins coming from the likes of Howard Aufleger at 118 pounds, Doug Duell at 126 pounds, Lee Roy Smith at 142 pounds, Ricky Stewart at 158 pounds, Fred Duell at 167 pounds and Eric Wais at 190 pounds.

Head-to-Head Matchups
  There is little history between this year’s Cowboy team and this year’s Northern Colorado team, as the only head-to-head meeting between the two was an 11-4 win by Northern Colorado’s Lance Gallegos over Luke Silver at last year’s Fort Hays State Open. Gallegos has since moved down a weight class to 141 pounds, so a rematch is unlikely.

Looking Ahead To Bedlam
  Oklahoma State has a quick turnaround following Friday’s dual to a 2 p.m. dual Sunday against Oklahoma at McCasland Fieldhouse in Norman. The Bedlam dual will be televised live in Oklahoma City (Cox Channel 7) and in Tulsa (Cox Channel 3) with Toby Rowland and Ryan Schaeffer on the call.

Cowboys Going For A 100-Win Advantage In Bedlam Series
  Oklahoma State has controlled the Bedlam Series through the years and can hit a milestone with a win Sunday by taking a 100-win advantage over the Sooners in the all-time series between the two schools. OSU enters Sunday’s contest with a whopping 124-25-9 advantage over OU in what is one of the most lopsided series in all of college sports.

Bedlam Series Capsule
Series Record..................OSU leads, 124-25-9
In Norman.........................OSU leads, 54-13-7
In Stillwater......................OSU leads, 67-12-2
At Neutral Sites................OSU leads, 3-0-0
John Smith vs. OU............33-4-2
Jack Spates vs. OSU.......2-29-2
Recent Trends.................OSU has won 19 of last 20

Two of the Nation’s Top Wrestling Traditions
  Oklahoma State and Oklahoma boast two of the richest traditions in all of collegiate wrestling. A look at some of the most impressive credentials from both programs:

NCAA Team Titles............................................OSU 34, OU 7
NCAA Individual Champions.............................OSU 133, OU 65
All-Americans...................................................OSU 422, OU 256
Big 12 Team Titles (1997-pres)........................OSU 8, OU 2
Big 12 Individual Champs (1997-pres)..............OSU 50, OU 20
Individual Conference Titles (all-time)...............OSU 229, OU 171
Olympic Wrestlers............................................ OSU 40, OU 18

Head-to-Head Matchups Of Probable Bedlam Starters
Obe Blanc vs. Joey Fio..............................Never met
Tyler Shinn vs. David Armstrong..................Never met
Jamal Parks vs. Zack Bailey.........................Never met
Luke Silver vs. Kyle Terry............................Never met
Newly McSpadden vs. Shane Vernon.........Never met
Brandon Mason vs. Ryan Smith...................Never met
Kyle Griffin vs. Jeff James...........................Never met
Jared Shelton vs. Pat Flynn..........................Never met
Clayton Foster vs. Eric Lapotsky..................Never met
Jared Rosholt vs. Nathan Fernandez...........Rosholt leads, 2-0

More Pins Than Before
  If there is one noticable difference between Oklahoma State this year from last year, it may be that this year’s team is registering pins at a much higher rate than last year’s. Through one month, this year’s team has registered 61 pins. Last year’s squad had a season total of 84 pins. From an indiviudal perspective, 149-pounder Quinten Fuentes has nine wins by fall this year to lead the team, with Jordan Oliver not far behind with seven wins by fall. Last season, Jared Rosholt led the team with seven pins.

Rosholt An All-Star Classic Winner
  Oklahoma State junior 285-pounder Jared Rosholt was an 8-4 winner over No. 3 Kyle Massey of Wisconsin at the NWCA All-Star Classic in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 24. With his comfortable win over Massey at the All-Star Classic, Rosholt has already beaten two of his top competitors for the NCAA title this year. He beat No. 4 Mark Ellis of Missouri by a 4-1 decision in the title bout of the Central Missouri Open on Nov. 16.

Top-Notch Recruiting Class On The Way
  Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith announced the signing of eight student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. The incoming class of signees is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiting classes and is heavy on in-state recruits.
  The incoming class is highlighted by Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater), Jon Morrison (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), Dallas Bailey (Catoosa, Okla./Catoosa) and Albert White (Lynwood, Ill./Northern Iowa Area Community College), all of whom are considered blue chip national recruits. Both Perry and Morrison are ranked by major national publications as the No. 1 wrestlers in their respective weight classes going into their senior year, with Bailey ranked as the preseason No. 2 prep in the nation in his weight class. White is a 2008 junior college national champion who was 200-4 during his prep career at St. Rita HS in Chicago and has a Fargo national title on his resume.
  Perry (No. 3), Bailey (No. 6) and Morrison (No. 9) are all ranked among revwrestling.com’s top 10 recruits in the nation, regardless of weight class. No other school in the country has more than one wrestler from that list signed as part of this year’s class.
  This year’s group of prep wrestlers in the state of Oklahoma is considered to be one of the best in recent memory, and the Cowboys succeeded in keeping the homegrown talent in-state, with Perry, Bailey, Blake Rosholt (Ponca City HS), Ladd Rupp (Perry HS), Stephen Swan (Perry HS) and Zach White (Woodward HS) all signing on to continue their wrestling careers at Oklahoma State.

OSU wrestling: Eating and studying works for Rosholt OSU wrestling preview Heavyweight bulkier, better

BY Matt Patterson
Published: November 22, 2008

STILLWATER — For a heavyweight, Oklahoma State’s Jared Rosholt once had an unusual habit of skipping meals.


OSU heavyweight Jared Rosholt, left, is gunning for a national title this season. Photo by The Oklahoman Archive

While most of his teammates were trying to cut weight, Rosholt would skip meals like breakfast, which OSU coach John Smith wanted him to eat. Those days are gone. Rosholt isn’t skipping meals and has steadily put on weight over the past two years.

At 255 pounds, he is still a little light for a heavyweight, but he’s a world away from the 230-pound freshman who sometimes got pushed around.

"I think last year I was close to where I wanted to be,” the junior said. "I went into the tournament at around 240. This year I want to practice at about 255. I don’t feel like it’s slowed me down.”

Rosholt is the favorite to win the heavyweight national championship. He finished strong last year, going 33-5 and winning the Big 12 title. He lost to the eventual NCAA champion in the semifinals. But Rosholt’s development hasn’t come easy. Truth is he had to hit the books a little harder to get better on the mat.

"As he became a better student in school, he has gotten better as a wrestler,” Smith said. "It’s the attention to detail. He has developed and matured to be where he is, but for him to be a national champion, he needs to get better.”

The education major sees the correlation between better grades and better results on the mat.

"I think you get more responsible and start doing things right,” Rosholt said. "It starts at home and school. It all reflects on each other.”

And Rosholt’s newfound maturity will be an asset to the Cowboys this year with several new wrestlers in the lineup. Freshmen like Luke Silver (125) and Jamal Parks (141) will be new starters. Rosholt has been there and done that.

"Watching some of the freshman that wrestled last year, I was thinking that was me my freshman year,” he said. "I can tell what their heads are going through. I try to keep it positive. I was there so I know how hard it is to go out there the first time.”

Cowboy Wrestling Competes At Northeast Duals Saturday
Courtesy: okstate.com
           Release: 11/26/2008

Oklhahoma State Wrestling This Week
Northeast Duals
Nov. 29, 2008 :: All day :: Hudson Valley CC :: Troy, N.Y.

8:15 a.m. CST OSU vs. No. 22 Lehigh
10:00 a.m. CST OSU vs. No. 24 Virginia
2:15 p.m. CST OSU vs. Appalachian State
4:00 p.m. CST OSU vs. American

TV None
Radio 780 AM KSPI
Internet okstate.com

The Oklahoma State wrestling team (1-0 overall) travels to Troy, N.Y. to compete at the Northeast Duals Saturday. The Cowboys square off against Lehigh, Virginia, Appalachian State and American at the event.

On The Air
  Saturday’s Northeast Duals will be broadcast live on 780 KSPI-AM radio Stillwater with Roger Moore calling the action. The broadcast can also be accessed live online at the official web site of Oklahoma State athletics, www.okstate.com.

Position Battles Still Ongoing
  A handful of starting positions remain up for grabs and the Northeast Duals could play a part in solidifying the Oklahoma State lineup.
  Tyler Shinn and Chris Notte would both be suitable as 133-pound starters for the Cowboys. Shinn beat Notte head-to-head at the Orange and Black Ranking Matches and at the Central Missouri Open, but hasn’t done quite enough to lock up the title of starter just yet.
  Luke Silver currently sports a 6-0 record at 149 pounds, but Quinten Fuentes has looked strong in winning by fall in eight of his nine victories this year.
  Neil Erisman will be a Cowboy to watch all year at 157 pounds, but he will have to out-perform senior Newly McSpadden, who is off to a 6-1 start.

Cowboys 274-66-5 All-Time vs. Ranked Opponents
  Oklahoma State will take on No. 22 Lehigh and No. 24 Virginia at the Northeast Duals. Both teams are solid teams that are capable of knocking off most anyone.
  That said, Oklahoma State has feasted on ranked opposition throughout its history. The Amateur Wrestling News has produced college rankings since the 1974-75 season. Since that time, Oklahoma State is 274-66-5 vs. ranked opponents (.801 winning percentage).

Last Time Out - Oklahoma State 30, No. 20 Old Dominion 9
  Pins in each of the final three bouts propelled No. 7 Oklahoma State to a 30-9 victory over No. 20 Old Dominion on Nov. 22. The Cowboys fell behind early by losing the first three bouts, but a 4-3 win by OSU freshman Luke Silver at 149 pounds propelled the Cowboys into seven straight wins to close out the dual.

Bout-by-Bout Results
125: No. 5 James Nicholson (ODU) dec. No. 6 Obenson Blanc (OSU); 5-3
133: No. 12 Kyle Hutter (ODU) dec. No. 11 Tyler Shinn (OSU); 4-2
141: No. 14 Ryan Williams (ODU) dec. Jamal Parks (OSU); 6-5
149: Luke Silver (OSU) dec. Joey Metzler (ODU); 4-3
157: No. 12 Newly McSpadden (OSU) dec. Kaylen Baxter (ODU); 6-1
165: No. 10 Brandon Mason (OSU) dec. No. 16 Chris Brown (ODU); 5-4 TB2
174: Kyle Griffin (OSU) dec. Eric Decker (ODU); 10-4
184: Jared Shelton (OSU) fall Joe Budi (ODU); 0:41
197: No. 18 Clayton Foster (OSU) fall Jesse Strawn (ODU); 2:05
285: No. 1 Jared Rosholt (OSU) fall Roy Dragon III (ODU); 4:26

Series Records vs. Northeast Duals Opponents
  Oklahoma State owns an 8-0-0 all-time record over Lehigh, and 1-0-0 marks over both Appalachian State and American. The Cowboys have never faced Virginia in a dual.

Opponents To Watch
  Several wrestlers the Cowboys will likely face at the Northeast Duals are ranked nationally, but none higher than No. 6 Michael Cannon from American, who wrestles at 174 pounds. No. 8 Rocco Caponi, who occupies the starting spot at 184 pounds for Virginia, is also a top-10 opponent. The 174-pound weight class is the strongest that the Cowboys will face at the Northeast Duals, with American’s Cannon (No. 6), Lehigh’s Alex Caruso (No. 13) and Virginia’s Chris Henrich (No. 14) all ranked nationally.

Head-to-Head Matchups
  There have been very few head-to-head matchups between current Cowboy wrestlers and current wrestlers from OSU’s opposition at the Northeast Duals.
  Cowboy senior Newly McSpadden handed American’s Chris Stout a 12-2 major decision defeat at last year’s Northeast Duals. OSU’s Brandon Mason was a 2-0 winner over Lehigh’s Alex Caruso at the 2008 NCAA Championships, Cowboy Quinten Fuentes pinned American’s Chris Clarke in 3:22 at last year’s Northeast Duals and OSU’s Cody Hill pinned American’s Andrew Semple in 2:36 at last year’s Northeast Duals.

OSU At Last Year’s Northeast Duals
  Oklahoma State swept four duals at the 2007 Journeyman/Brute Northeast Duals, including a 20-16 victory over No. 12 Hofstra. The Cowboys cruised to victories over Binghamton (47-3), Clarion (38-6), and American (42-0) as well.

Rosholt An All-Star Classic Winner
  Oklahoma State junior 285-pounder Jared Rosholt was an 8-4 winner over No. 3 Kyle Massey of Wisconsin at the NWCA All-Star Classic in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 24. With his comfortable win over Massey at the All-Star Classic, Rosholt has already beaten two of his top competitors for the NCAA title this year. He beat No. 4 Mark Ellis of Missouri by a 4-1 decision in the title bout of the Central Missouri Open on Nov. 16.

More Pins Than Before
  If there is one noticable difference between Oklahoma State this year from last year, it may be that this year’s team is registering pins at a much higher rate than last year’s.
  Through two open tournaments and one dual, this year’s Cowboy team has registered 50 pins. Last year’s squad had a season total of 84 pins.
  From an indiviudal perspective, 149-pounder Quinten Fuentes has eight wins by fall this year to lead the team. Last season, Jared Rosholt led the team with seven pins.

A New Era At Oklahoma State
  The 2008-09 season may be a special one in that the Cowboys do not several veteran returners with NCAA championship credentials or high All-America honors, so an opportunity is there for new faces to emerge. Only heavyweight Jared Rosholt was ranked among the top five wrestlers in his weight class going into the season.
  Among those to watch from Oklahoma State’s next generation are sophomore 197-pounder Clayton Foster and redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jamal Parks. Those two have the chance to plant seeds this year for an exciting wave of seasons to come.
  Two of the top high school wrestlers in the nation last year, freshmen Jordan Oliver and Alex Meade, are both slated to redshirt this season. Combine them with Foster, Parks, sophomore Kyle Griffin and redshirt freshman Chris McNeil, plus a bumper crop of incoming recruits and it becomes clear that John Smith and the Cowboys are building something special down the road.

Top-Notch Recruiting Class On The Way
  Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith announced the signing of eight student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. The incoming class of signees is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiting classes and is heavy on in-state recruits.
  The incoming class is highlighted by Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater), Jon Morrison (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), Dallas Bailey (Catoosa, Okla./Catoosa) and Albert White (Lynwood, Ill./Northern Iowa Area Community College), all of whom are considered blue chip national recruits. Both Perry and Morrison are ranked by major national publications as the No. 1 wrestlers in their respective weight classes going into their senior year, with Bailey ranked as the preseason No. 2 prep in the nation in his weight class. White is a 2008 junior college national champion who was 200-4 during his prep career at St. Rita HS in Chicago and has a Fargo national title on his resume.
  Perry (No. 3), Bailey (No. 6) and Morrison (No. 9) are all ranked among revwrestling.com’s top 10 recruits in the nation, regardless of weight class. No other school in the country has more than one wrestler from that list signed as part of this year’s class.
  This year’s group of prep wrestlers in the state of Oklahoma is considered to be one of the best in recent memory, and the Cowboys succeeded in keeping the homegrown talent in-state, with Perry, Bailey, Blake Rosholt (Ponca City HS), Ladd Rupp (Perry HS), Stephen Swan (Perry HS) and Zach White (Woodward HS) all signing on to continue their wrestling careers at Oklahoma State.

Next Up For The Cowboys
Oklahoma State hosts Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Cowboy Wrestling Wraps Up Orange and Black Ranking Matches

Courtesy: okstate.com Release: 11/13/2008

bullet Photo Album
bullet Results and Bout Play-by-Plays
bullet Post-Game Quotes From John Smith

STILLWATER, Okla. – The Oklahoma State wrestling team wrapped up its Orange and Black Ranking Matches in Gallagher-Iba Arena Thursday with 149-pounder Luke Silver, 125-pounder Obenson Blanc and 174-pounder Kyle Griffin emerging as big winners.

 

In one of the night’s key matches, Silver scored the winning takedown with only 15 seconds remaining in the third period against Quinten Fuentes to claim a 9-8 victory. The bout featured a frantic start in which Silver scored a takedown just four seconds into the first period, only to have Fuentes get a reversal six seconds later and turn it into a four-point move with a two-point nearfall just six seconds after that. Fuentes held the lead for the majority of the bout, but Silver kept it close enough to put himself in position to make the winning takedown in the waning seconds.

 

As for Blanc, the 2007 All-American looked dominant wrestling in Gallagher-Iba Arena for the first time. He pinned three-time Oklahoma high school state champion Drew Partain in 4:34 in his first match before claiming a 20-6 major decision win over Andre Taylor.

 

Griffin entered the night as part of a cluster of wrestlers at 174 pounds who all had a shot at the starting spot, but he created separation from the pack with an 11-7 win over Kevin Wainscott in his first bout and a 12-5 win over Cody Hill in his second bout.

 

Other key matches were won by Tyler Shinn (a 3-1 sudden victory win over Chris Notte at 133 pounds) and Newly McSpadden (a 4-3 decision over Neil Erisman at 157 pounds).

 

The Cowboys open their season this Sunday when they compete at the Central Missouri State Open. Nearly the entire roster will be in action.

 

Oklahoma State Orange and Black Ranking Matches

Nov. 13, 2008 :: Gallagher-Iba Arena (Stillwater, Okla.)

 

Mat 1 Results
125 pounds: Andre Taylor (Black) maj. dec. Kyle Torkleson (Orange), 13-5                                            

165 pounds: Alex Meade (Black) dec. Ace Adamson (Orange), 9-4                                                           
174 pounds: Cody Hill (Orange) Injury Default Joe Ali (Black), 4-1
197 pounds: Clayton Foster (Orange) Fall Elliot Hellwege(black), 2-5: 5:44                 

141 pounds: Luke Ashmore (Black) dec. Jamal Parks (Orange), 6-5: SV
125 pounds: Obi Blanc(orange) maj. Dec. Andre Taylor (black), 20-6
165 pounds: Brandon Mason (Orange) dec. Alex Meade (Black), 7-0
174 pounds: Kyle Griffin (Black) dec. Cody Hill (Orange), 12-5
197 pounds: Clayton Foster(Orange) maj. dec Adam Rosholt (Black), 18-5
Heavyweight:  Jared Rosholt (Orange) tech fall Chaz Cointment (Black); 18-3; 5:44


Mat 2 Results
125 pounds: Obenson Blanc (Orange) fall Drew Partain (Black); 4:34
133 pounds: Tyler Shinn (Black) dec. Chris Notte (Orange);3-1SV
174 pounds: Kyle Griffin (Black) dec. Kevin Wainscott (Orange); 11-7
197 pounds: Adam Rosholt (Black) dec. Tyson Yoder (Orange); 4-3SV2
149 pounds: Jake Peck (Orange) injury default Johnny Koepp (Black)
149 pounds: Luke Silver (Orange) dec. Quinten Fuentes (Black); 9-8
157 pounds: Newly McSpadden (Black) dec. Neil Erisman (Orange); 4-3
184 pounds: Jared Shelton (Orange) dec. Chris McNeil (Black); 4-3TB


Catoosa's Bailey commits to OSU wrestling

By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer
11/3/2008  5:21 PM
Last Modified: 11/3/2008  5:41 PM
Dallas Bailey



Oklahoma State's wrestling program has landed another high-profile in-state recruiting commitment.

Catoosa High School senior 171-pounder Dallas Bailey informed OSU coach John Smith on Sunday night that he will sign with the Cowboys next week. The national letter of intent signing period starts Nov. 12.

Bailey is a three-time state champ for Catoosa's powerhouse program and has 95-4 career record with the Indians. Intermatwrestle.com lists Bailey as the 22nd best senior nationally, regardless of weight class.

Bailey joins an impressive in-state recruiting commitment list the Cowboys have compiled. Stillwater 189-pounder Chris Perry committed to OSU last week to join Perry High School standouts Ladd Rupp and Stephen Swan and Woodward's Zach White.
By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer


Stillwater wrestler Perry chooses OSU

College Wrestling State’s top recruit picks Pokes over Penn State

BY Matt Patterson
Published: November 1, 2008

Oklahoma’s top wrestling recruit has made his college choice and he won’t have to leave home to continue his career.

Stillwater’s Chris Perry announced Friday he will wrestle at Oklahoma State, turning down Penn State. Perry is a three-time state champion and the nephew of Cowboys head coach John Smith.

Perry was also recruited by his brother Mark, who is in his first year as an assistant coach at Penn State.

"It was a very difficult decision,” Perry said. "I’ve been around OSU all my life. I’ve worked out there, so it came down to me being more familiar with the program and the fact Stillwater is home.”

Perry said he informed his uncle earlier this week he was coming to OSU.

"He was really happy about it,” Perry said. "He said he’s been looking forward to it for a long time and that he’d take me to another level.”

OSU also added commitments from Perry’s Ladd Rupp and Stephen Swan. Woodward’s Zach White has also committed to OSU, Perry said.

Amateur Wrestling News ranks him No. 1 nationally. Perry is 97-1 so far in his high school career and is on a 65-match win streak. He has also found success at several national tournaments.

Mark Perry wrestled at Iowa, winning two national championships. Early on there was speculation Chris might follow in his brother’s footsteps and become a Hawkeye, but Perry said Iowa was never in the cards.

"They never contacted me and I was really surprised by that,” he said. "I think scholarship wise they were already pretty loaded.”

OSU wrestling gets commitment from Stillwater star
By Matt Doyle, World Sports Writer
10/31/2008  12:50 PM
Last Modified: 10/31/2008  1:00 PM
STEPHEN HOLMAN/Tulsa World
Stillwater's Chris Perry (top) overpowers Broken Arrow's Terry Williamson during their 189-pound Class 5A championship wrestling match on Feb. 23, 2008, at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City.




Stillwater High School senior Chris Perry has given a verbal commitment to wrestle collegiately at Oklahoma State.

The three-time state champion is expected to sign his letter of intent on Nov. 12, the first day of the early signing period.

Perry is regarded as one of the top high school wrestlers in the nation. Amateur Wrestling News lists Perry as the No. 1 competitor in the 189-pound weight class. Perry is 97-1 in his three-year high school career and will bring a 65-match win streak into his senior season.

Perry comes from good bloodlines. He is the nephew of OSU wrestling coach John Smith, his father Mark Perry Sr. was a two-time All-American at OSU in 1984-85, and his older brother Mark Perry Jr. was a two-time national champion at Iowa.
By Matt Doyle, World Sports



Perry signs letter of intent with O-State

Christopher Shelton-newspress 11/15/08

Stillwater High senior Chris Perry was only hours away from the first round of football playoffs Friday afternoon, but for about a half-hour, his mind was on another sport.

In the SHS student center, Perry sat at a table surrounded by his family, coach and friends as he signed his letter of intent to wrestle at Oklahoma State next year.

As the state’s top wrestling recruit, Perry was — in part — choosing between his uncle, OSU coach John Smith, and his brother, Penn State assistant coach Mark Perry, Jr.

“Obviously, his mother wanted him to stay closer to home, but I think it’s a tough decision when you have to choose between your brother or staying at home,” Chris’ father, Mark Perry, said.

“I think in the long run, big-picture things, it’s probably going to be a better deal that he’s staying at home. I wasn’t against him going to his brother because he’d be there to help him all the time, but in my perspective, probably in the long term, Oklahoma State’s going to be the best thing for him.”

Mark Perry said it wasn’t a family decision; it was whatever Chris wanted to do.

“I’ve known for a week or so what I was going to do, but it’s a good thing to get it out of the way and just be able to focus on wrestling now, not have to worry about any of this,” Chris said.

The three-time state champion is 97-1 in his high school career and is basking in a 65-match win streak. He attended the OSU Orange and Black ranking matches on Thursday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena to see his future school kick off preseason activities.

“It was an exciting deal,” Chris said. “I got to see a lot of friends I hang out with in the summer — true freshman Alex Meade and other real good buddies of mine.”

Other Oklahoma recruits joining the Cowboy family include Catoosa’s Dallas Bailey, Ponca City’s Blake Rosholt, Perry’s Ladd Rupp and Woodward’s Zach White.

Wrestling has been a family affair for the Perrys. Mark Perry was a two-time OSU All-American, while Mark Perry Jr. was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American wrestler for Iowa. Chris feels he will fit right in with the Cowboys.

“I’ve always been a part of it,” he said. “My dad’s run the OSU wrestling camps, and I feel like I’m right there ready to jump in. I feel like we’re all searching for the same goals and trying to win the same things.

“I think we’re going to have a good team coming up, and I really think we’ll win national titles.”

Although it’s hard to tell before high school wrestlers are put to the collegiate test, Chris’ SHS career indicates that he will only help OSU reclaim its NCAA crown.

“He knows what’s expected of him, what it takes to prepare for the next level, so he has that advantage over most high school kids,” Mark Perry said. “And he’s worked out with college kids since he was a ninth-grader, so obviously, he expects to be a big factor at Oklahoma State, but it will probably be after his redshirt year and whatever Coach Smith decides on doing with his team.”

Smith added, “There are a lot of reasons to be excited about this class. There are legacy wrestlers whose dads wrestled here in Chris Perry and Dallas Bailey. I wrestled with their fathers and it is exciting to see their kids coming into the program now. It shows that people believe in the program.”