Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Gun Down Hawkeyes, 26-12
January 16, 2005 | Cowboy Wrestling
It was an inauspicious start for the Cowboys (8-0) as Charlie Falck gave the Hawkeyes (5-2) the lead with a decision at 125. Coleman Scott was leading the match with 20 seconds remaining, but gave up a takedown and a near fall as time expired.
OSU won the next three matches to jump out to a 10-3 lead. Nathan Morgan got it started for the Cowboys with a major decision over No. 11 Mario Galanakis. Morgan jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first period, and finished off Galanakis by a score of 12-3.
OSU's Ronnie Delk had a dramatic victory over seventh-ranked Alex Tsirtsis. The two wrestlers battled through a scoreless first period. Delk got the first point of the match with an escape in the second period. The match was evened up a minute later when Delk was penalized for an illegal hold. That gave Tsirtsis the advantage because he had the option in the third period and chose down to get the escape point. It remained 2-1 until Delk got a takedown with eight seconds remaining to pull out the 3-2 victory.
“This is the first time in a long time that Ronnie has beaten somebody that he was not supposed to,” head coach John Smith said. “You have to be able to break through, and that was a break through for Ronnie. Things happen when you wrestle and somebody has to do something to score. Ronnie put two or three things together at the end to put the points on the board.”
Top ranked Zack Esposito had another tight match with No. 6 Ty Eustice. Neither wrestler recorded an offensive point in regulation. Eustice nearly won the match with a takedown at the end of the third period, but could not quite get control. The match went into a tiebreaker where Esposito won the match by riding out Eustice for the full 30 second period.
Iowa's Joe Johnston, however, made the dual much more interesting. Johnston pushed Kevin Ward around for three periods and had a major decision, but he used a combination as time was running out to take Ward down and pin him with three seconds left in the match.
Oklahoma State led Iowa 10-9 with the last five weight classes yet to wrestle.
OSU's Johny Hendricks and Stillwater native Mark Perry took the mat at 165, in what turned out to be the fourth classic match of the dual. Neither wrestler could manage any points in the first period. Hendricks got an escape point in the second period and it stayed that way until the third. Hendricks started the third period on top, and that was where he stayed for the entire two minute period. Both wrestlers picked up penalty points in the final period, but Hendricks got the victory.
That just about sealed the match as Oklahoma State was heavy favorites in three of the final four weights. Chris Pendleton recorded a fall at 174, and Jake Rosholt recorded a tech. fall at 197 to put the match out of reach for Iowa. Steve Mocco recorded a decision over Matt Fields. It was Mocco's first dual meet against his former team.
“I think this was a good match, Smith said. “It was not by any means our best match, but I think Iowa had a lot to do with that. I like the way we wrestled at several weights. Ronnie (Delk) put a couple things together at the end of his match, and Johny Hendricks wrestled a very solid match. We got what we expected from our guys at 174 and 197. we expected them to score big points, and they did.”
The Cowboys will be back in action when they travel to Cleveland, Ohio for the National Duals. Many of the top programs from around the country will be competing. OSU has won the last two titles at the event.
Oklahoma State 26, Iowa 12
125- Charlie Falck (Iowa) dec Coleman Scott (OSU), 5-3
133- Nathan Morgan (OSU) m. dec. #11 Mario Galanakis (Iowa), 12-3
141- Ronnie Delk (OSU) dec. #7 Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa), 3-2
149- #1 Zack Esposito (OSU) dec. #6 Ty Eustice (Iowa), 2-1 TB
157- #8 Joe Johnston (Iowa) fall Kevin Ward (OSU, 6:57
165- #3 Johny Hendricks (OSU) dec. #4 Mark Perry (Iowa), 3-1
174- #1 Chris Pendleton (OSU) fall Luke Lofthouse (Iowa), 1:31
184- #2 Paul Bradley (Iowa) dec. Clay Kehrer (OSU), 6-4
197- #1 Jake Rosholt (OSU) t. fall Adam Fellers (Iowa), 21-6 (6:28)
285- #1 Steve Mocco (OSU) dec. #6 Matt Fields (Iowa), 4-0
Mocco unsportsmanlike conduct, -1 team point
