Oklahoma State University Athletics
Eight Wrestlers Advance to Finals of Big 12 Championships
March 07, 2004 | Cowboy Wrestling
The Cowboys scored 67 points to take the overall lead heading into the finals. Missouri and Nebraska are tied at second with 34 points each, while Iowa State and Oklahoma are tied for fourth with 16 points a piece.
OSU's Johnny Thompson was the first Cowboy to advance to the finals, with his 3-1 victory over Mimi Miller of Oklahoma. Thompson advanced to the finals for the fourth-straight year, and has a chance to become one of only a handful of four-time conference champions.
Sandwiched between Thompson's win was a pair of losses by Cody Stites and Ronnie Delk. Stites dropped a 5-3 decision to Sam Hazewinkle, while Delk lost a close 3-2 decision to Nate Gallick.
Zack Esposito's decision against Trent Paulson was the start of seven consecutive victories for the Cowboys. Esposito scored a takedown and a trio of nearfall points in the second period before sealing the victory 8-2.
Johny Hendricks recorded the lone takedown in his match against B.J. Wright to advance to the finals with his 3-1 victory. Tyrone Lewis recorded six takedowns en route to a 15-5 major decision against Oklahoma's Charles Jones.
Chris Pendleton notched the team's lone fall in the semifinal round with his pin against James Pummel of Nebraska in 2:46. Jake Rosholt followed Pendleton's win with a 10-5 decision over Travis Pascoe to advance to the finals.
Rusty Blackmon defeated Nebraska's top-seeded B.J. Padden, 7-4, to advance. Blackmon was behind early 2-1 before roaring back with a takedown and a trio of back points in the second period. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native held on to take the victory and advance.
Will Gruenwald ended the morning session with a 6-2 victory against Iowa State's Scott Coleman.
In the pigtail round, Ronnie Delk recorded the upset victory over Missouri's J.P. Reese, 6-5, while Rusty Blackmon slid past Joel Tapler, 1-0, of Oklahoma. Delk recorded a takedown in the first period to take a 2-0 lead heading into the second. The Collinsville, Okla., native then extended his lead to 4-0 with a reversal. Reese cut the lead to 4-2 with a reversal of his own.
The two wrestlers traded one more reversal each before going into the third period. After a Reese escape to open the third, Delk hung on to take the match and advance to the semifinals.
After a scoreless first period, Blackmon rode Tapler out in the second and then escaped in the third to seal the 1-0 victory.
The consolations are slated to start at 4 p.m. with the finals beginning at 7 p.m.
Results OSU 67 MU 34 Nu 34 ISU 16 OU 16
Pigtail 141 - Ronnie Delk (OSU) dec. J.P. Reese (MU), 6-5 197 - Rusty Blackmon (OSU) dec. Joel Tapler (OU), 1-0
Semifinals 125 - Sam Hazewinkle (OU) dec. Cody Stites (OSU), 5-3 133 - Johnny Thompson (OSU) dec. Mimi Miller (OU), 3-1 141 - Nate Gallick (ISU) dec. Ronnie Delk (OSU), 3-2 149 - Zack Esposito (OSU) dec. Trent Paulson (ISU), 8-2 157 - Johny Hendricks (OSU) dec. B.J. Wright (NU), 3-1 165 - Tyrone Lewis (OSU) m.d. Charles Jones (OU), 15-5 174 - Chris Pendleton (OSU) fall James Pummel (NU), 2:46 184 - Jake Rosholt (OSU) dec. Travis Pascoe (NU), 10-5 197 - Rusty Blackmon (OSU) dec. B.J. Padden (NU), 7-4 285 - Will Gruenwald (OSU) dec. Scott Coleman (ISU), 6-2
