Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Big 12 Championship
ISU Wins Big 12 Wrestling; Cowboys Finish Third
March 09, 2008 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER, Okla. - Iowa State took home the Big 12 wrestling championship for the second straight year Saturday on the campus of Oklahoma State University.
The Cyclones finished with 75.5 team points and a tournament-best four individual championships. Nebraska finished second with 62.5 team points and three champions, Oklahoma State was third with 52.5 team points and one champion (Jared Rosholt). Missouri finished fourth with 49.5 points and two champions. Oklahoma was fifth with 24 team points (no champions).
The tournament went according to the seeding, for the most part, with six No. 1 seeds and four No. 2 seeds winning championships. Top seed Paul Donahoe of Nebraska won the 125-pound class, earning a 7-4 decision over Oklahoma State's Tyler Shinn in the championship.
The 133-pound class featured a key upset early on, as Oklahoma State's top-seeded and No. 1 ranked Coleman Scott fell in his first match to Missouri's Tyler McCormick, the No. 4 seed in the class. The upset, which was the biggest of the day, opened the door for Iowa State's Nick Fanthorpe, who defeated McCormick 8-1 in the championship match. Scott won a 4-0 decision over Nebraska's Kenny Jordan to finish third.
Iowa State's second individual champion came when Nick Gallick defeated Oklahoma State's Nathan Morgan in sudden-victory overtime. Gallick and Morgan each recorded a takedown in regulation to tie the score at 1-1. Gallick recorded the first and only takedown in the match with 22 seconds remaining in overtime to earn the 3-1 decision and the 141 pound Big 12 Championship.
Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs gave the Huskers their second individual titlist Burroughs rolled through the 149-pound bracket, earning a 24-9 technical decision over Oklahoma's Will Rowe, who finished third, in the semi-final round and a 15-6 major decision over Iowa State's Mitch Mueller in the championship. Burroughs' win was the only major decision in a championship match during the tournament. Burroughs' efforts earned him the honor of the tournament's outstanding wrestler.
Cyler Sanderson earned the third individual championship for Iowa State when he won a 6-5 decision over Missouri's Michael Chandler. Sanderson scored a takedown with 35 seconds remaining in the championship match to go on top and was able to hang on for the win.
The 165-pound class featured several close matches, including the title match. Nebraska's third-seeded Stephen Dwyer tried to upset top-seeded and second-ranked Nick Marable of Missouri, but fell one point short. Marable scored an escape with 1:47 remaining in the match to win the decision and the 165-pound crown.
Nebraska's individual championship count reached three when Brandon Browne defeated Oklahoma State's Brandon Mason in the 174-pound championship. The wrestlers battled throughout the match, as Browne scored the winning takedown with less than 10 seconds remaining to win 7-6.
Iowa State's top-ranked Jake Varner continued his undefeated season as he won the 184-pound championship. Varner defeated Oklahoma State's Jack Jensen 2-1 in the semi-final and beat Joshua Weitzel, Oklahoma's only championship match qualifier, 4-1. The win gave Iowa State its fourth individual championship.
Missouri won its second individual championship when top-seeded Max Askren defeated Nebraska's Craig Brester, 8-3 at 197. Askren won a 6-3 decision over Iowa State's fourth-seeded David Bertolino in the semi-final round.
Oklahoma State heavyweight Jared Rosholt gave the Cowboys their only individual championship by defeating Nebraska's Jon May in the semi-final round and winning a 9-4 decision over Iowa State's top-seeded David Zabriskie. Rosholt had been 0-5 all-time against May.
Following the tournament, the Big 12 announced the eight wildcard selections that will join the conference's 30 automatic entries into the NCAA Wrestling Championship. The list:
Raymond Jordan: Missouri (184 pounds)
Jake Dieffenbach: Oklahoma State (165 pounds)
Kenny Jordan: Nebraska (133 pounds)
Joel Flaggert: Oklahoma (197 pounds)
Josh Wagner: Missouri (149 pounds)
Tyler Clark: Iowa State (125 pounds)
Vince Jones: Nebraska (184 pounds)
Jon May: Nebraska (285 pounds)
