Cowboys Claim 34th Championship, Send Three to the Finals

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Cowboys Claim 34th Championship, Send Three to the Finals

March 18, 2006 | Cowboy Wrestling

Oklahoma State wrapped up its 34^th national championship sending three wrestlers into the title bout as the Cowboys accumulated 106.0 team points after the second day of the NCAA Championships at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.

The Cowboys lead second-place Minnesota, who also has three finalists, with 72.5 team points. OSU mathematically clinched the team title when Oklahoma's Jake Hager lost to Harvard's Bode Ogunwole.

“We still have some more matches we have to win,” head coach John Smith said. “The fourth one will be more satisfying. Each one is more satisfying. I think that we had some ups and downs, some question marks. I think we gave a lot up through the season to some teams. We had to battle up and that's what we did this weekend.”

Johny Hendricks was OSU's first finalist with a 4-3 decision over American's previously undefeated Muzaffar Abdurakmanov. Hendricks attacked the whole match and with the match tied at three in the third period, Hendricks earned a stall point to earn the victory. Hendricks will face Michigan's top-seeded Ryan Churella who he defeated, 6-2, in the semifinals last year.

“He didn't do anything,” Hendricks said afterward. “I outworked him the whole match from the very beginning to the very end. The national finals are on the line and you cannot be relaxing, he did.”

Jake Rosholt made quick work of Hofstra's Chris Weidman. Weidman got the first takedown, but Rosholt escaped and promptly took Weidman to his back and pinned him in 68 seconds. It was the 10^th fall for the Cowboys in the tournament. Rosholt will face Penn State's Philip Davis in the finals. Rosholt defeated Davis, 9-4, in last year's quarterfinal.

“Winning a third title would be a really big accomplishment,” Rosholt said. “It has always been my goal: to be a national champion. Then, you start out as a freshman and win one; all you can do is keep winning. You cannot settle for less than that.”

Steve Mocco defeated Michigan's Greg Wagner on riding time. Mocco rode Wagner for much of the third period giving up the escape point with three seconds left after he had riding secured. Mocco will face Minnesota's Cole Konrad whom he has lost to twice this season, but Mocco has the only win that matters in last year's final.

“It's time to go,” Mocco said about facing Konrad in the finals. “The time to talk about it is over. The time to think about it is over. Now I have to go out there and scrap for it. A match is a match. I am not worried about the title; I am worried about the match tomorrow.”

Nathan Morgan and Zack Esposito both suffered tough losses. Morgan lost to sixth-seeded Matt Valenti of Pennsylvania, while Esposito fell to Iowa's Ty Eustice.

Coleman Scott continued to take care of business in the wrestlebacks defeating Nebraska's Paul Donahoe, 8-3, before coming back to beat Stanford's Tanner Gardner of Stanford, 7-0. Scott has won six consecutive matches after falling in the opening round.

“I'm very pleased with Coleman Scott coming back in the pigtails and picking up bonus points along the way,” said Smith. “He has put himself into position to finish as high as third.”

Brandon Mason was eliminated from the tournament one round shy of placing. Mason lost to Pennsylvania's Matthew Herrington.

The first session begins tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. The finals will be carried live by ESPN and will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Team Standings

1. Oklahoma State 106.0

2. Minnesota 72.5

3. Oklahoma 64.5

4. Iowa 61.5

5. Arizona State 56.0

Consolation Fourth Round

125- #6 Coleman Scott dec. #10 Paul Donahoe (Nebraska); 8-3

174- #12 Matthew Herrington (Pennsylvania) dec. Brandon Mason; 3-1

Semifinals