Oklahoma State's wrestling team advanced six wrestlers into the second round of the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the
Ford Center in
Oklahoma City.
Zack Esposito gave the local fans something to cheer about when he took down Michigan State's Darren McKnight.
Nathan Morgan won a pig-tail match and came back to defeat Indiana's Andrae Hernandez to advance to the second round.
Johny Hendricks and Brandon Mason each recorded first round technical falls. Hendricks defeated Cal State Bakersfield's Brian Busby, 23-8. Mason got an early takedown and used his prowess on top to record a technical fall over Oregon State's Jeremy Larson in 3:12.
Jake Rosholt got hooked up in a cradle by Michigan's Willie Breyer, but Rosholt avoided the pin at the end of the second period and finished with a 21-9 major decision to advance.
Steve Mocco added to the team total flipping Chattanooga's Israel Silva and pinning him in 6:15. Mocco was the sixth Cowboy to advance to the second round and helped carry OSU to first-place with 17 team points. Hofstra is currently in second with 16 points.
Sixth-seeded Coleman Scott suffered a shocking opening round loss to Wyoming's Bryce Leonhardt. Leonhardt recorded a takedown in the first period and made it hold up as he escaped in the third period to record the 3-2 upset.
Kevin Ward lost to fifth-seeded Ben Cherrington of Boise State and Rusty Blackmon fell to 10th-seeded C.B. Dollaway of Arizona State.
All nine Cowboys will be in action in the evening session at 6:30 p.m. The action will be carried live by Hot 93.7 FM with play-by-play voice Rex Holt and Roger Moore.
Team Score
1. Oklahoma State 17.0
2. Hofstra 16.0
3. Oklahoma 13.5
4. Arizona State 13.0
Iowa 13.0
Minnesota 13.0
Wisconsin 13.0
Pig-tail
133- #2 Nathan Morgan Dec. Mike Mormile (Cornell), 6-3
First Round
125- Bryce Leonhardt (Wyoming) Dec. #6 Coleman Scott, 3-2
133- #2 Nathan Morgan Dec. Andrae Hernandez (Indiana), 9-3
149- #3 Zack Esposito Fall Darren McKnight (Michigan State), :31
157- #5 Ben Cherrington (Boise State) Dec. Kevin Ward, 7-0
165- #2 Johny Hendricks TF5 Brian Busby (Cal State Bakersfield), 23-8
174- #11 Brandon Mason TF5 Jeremy Larson (Oregon State), 16-0
184- #10 C.B. Dollaway (Arizona State) MD Rusty Blackmon, 14-3
197- #4 Jake Rosholt MD Willie Breyer (Michigan), 21-9
285- #2 Steve Mocco Fall Israel Silva (Chattanooga), 6:15
