Cowboys Finish Third at Big 12 Wrestling Championships

Saturday, March 3

Columbia, MO

Oklahoma State University

Big 12 Championship

March 04, 2007 | Cowboy Wrestling

Oklahoma State needed a victory from Jared Rosholt in the final match to claim its fifth consecutive Big 12 title, but David Zabriskie defeated Rosholt for the third straight time to give Iowa State its first conference title at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships inside the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo.

The Cowboys claimed three individual titles, their fewest since crowning three in 2002. OSU only scored 61 points; its fewest in the 11 years of the conference meet as the Cowboys finished third for the first time.

The Cyclones claimed the tea m title by five points over Missouri, the closest margin in the history of the championship. The previous margin was 6.5 points when Oklahoma defeated the Cowboys in 1999, 82.5-76. OSU finished third, a half point behind Missouri.

Tyler Shinn became the Cowboys first qualifier for the NCAA Championships. Shinn scored a takedown to defeat second-seeded Nick Fanthorpe in sudden victory. Jack Jensen also qualified virtue of a medical forfeit by Oklahoma's Josh Hinton.

Coleman Scott was the first Cowboy to take the mat in the finals, and he struck quick with a double leg takedown in the opening seconds on Missouri's Tyler McCormick. Scott added a takedown and a reversal to go up 6-2 in the third period. In the third period, McCormick escaped and scored a takedown to cut the deficit to one. McCormick threw in a cradle, but Scott fought threw it and avoided bonus points over the last minute of the match. It is Scott's second career Big 12 title.

Nathan Morgan went up on top-seeded Dominick Moyer of Nebraska with a takedown and a reversal, and he led 4-1 in the third period. Moyer closed the gap and trailed by just a point in the closing seconds, but Morgan recorded the last takedown at the buzzer to secure the victory, 6-3. It was the third straight Big 12 title for the junior from Bakersfield, Calif.

Johny Hendricks found himself trailing to second-seeded Travis Paulson, 3-2 in the third period. But has been the case so many times this year Hendricks found a way to win. Hendricks scored a takedown with 30 seconds remaining and rode out the remainder of the match to win by a point. It was the 52^nd straight victory for Hendricks as he moved into sixth place on OSU's all-time wins list with 123 career victories.

Top-ranked and undefeated Ben Askren had little trouble with Brandon Mason. Askren won by a major decision, 13-4. Raymond Jordan won the title at 184 to give Rosholt an opportunity to wrestle for the team title.

Zabriskie scored the first takedown, but Rosholt tied it on a pair of escapes heading into the third period. Zabriskie escaped to take the lead in the third period, and Rosholt could not get a takedown as time ran out.

The Cowboys qualified seven for the NCAA Championships, and were waiting to hear on wildcards for B.J. Jackson, Newly McSpadden and Jared Rosholt.

The NCAA Championships will take place March 15-17 at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Team Standings

Iowa State 66.5

Missouri 61.5

Oklahoma State 61

Nebraska 46

Oklahoma 44

Consolation

149- #3 Josh Wagner (MU) Dec. #5 B.J. Jackson (OSU); 3-1 sv

157- #3 Michael Chandler (MU) Dec. #4 Newly McSpadden (OSU); 7-2

184- #3 Jack Jensen (OSU) Dec. #5 Levi Wofford (NU); 9-4