Oklahoma State University Athletics
Brackets For NCAA Wrestling Championships Announced
March 16, 2009 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER, Okla. – The brackets for the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships were released today and with nine of its members included in the field, the Oklahoma State wrestling team is well-represented.
At 125 pounds, 2007 All-American Obenson Blanc has a first-round bye followed by a second-round date with the top-seeded wrestler in the weight class, undefeated Paul Donahoe of Edinboro. Donahoe, who transferred from Nebraska this past summer after winning an NCAA title in 2007 and placing third in 2008, pinned Blanc in 1:40 when the two met earlier this year at the Virginia Duals.
Cowboy 133-pounder Chris Notte also has a regular-season rematch waiting for him in St. Louis when he takes on fourth-seeded Daniel Dennis of Iowa in the second round following his first-round bye. Dennis was a 3-2 winner over Notte when the two met as part of the dual meet between the Hawkeyes and Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Jan. 18.
Making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships, freshman 141-pounder Jamal Parks will take on redshirt senior Vincent Ramirez from North Carolina in the second round following his first-round bye. Parks won a 5-3 decision over Ramirez at the Reno Tournament of Champions earlier in the year. The winner of that bout will face the winner of the bout between fourth-seeded Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa and Alex Krom of Maryland.
At 157 pounds, 12th-seeded Cowboy sophomore Neil Erisman takes on Northern Colorado's Justin Gaithje in the second round following a first-round bye. The two wrestlers have never faced each other. The winner of that match takes on the winner of the bout between fifth-seeded J.P. O'Connor of Harvard and Michael Kessler of Rider.
An All-American in 2007, OSU senior Brandon Mason is the No. 9 seed at 165 pounds and he will battle Penn State's Dan Vallimont in the second round following a first-round bye. The two wrestlers have never met, but if Mason wins, he will likely get a shot at revenge against eighth-seeded Jon Reader of Iowa State in his second-round match. Reader pinned Mason during the regular-season dual between the two, then beat Mason again in the third-place match at the Big 12 Championships.
Senior Newly McSpadden earned the No. 9 seed at 174 pounds and will open up against Ohio State's Dave Rella following a first-round bye. Rella transferred to the Buckeyes from Penn State this past offseason. McSpadden and Rella have never met. The winner of their bout takes on the winner of the bout pitting eighth-seeded Christopher Henrich of Virginia against Shane Smith of Millersville.
After earning an automatic berth into the NCAA field with his fourth-place showing at the Big 12 Championships, Cowboy freshman Chris McNeil is set to square off against Thomas Spellman of Virginia Tech in the second round following a first-round bye. Neither wrestler is seeded at the event and the two have never met. The winner takes on the winner of the bout between third-seeded Mike Pucillo of Ohio State and Matthew Gevelinger of Brown.
At 197 pounds, Cowboy sophomore Clayton Foster is the No. 8 seed and will take on Iowa's Chad Beatty in the second round following a first-round bye. Foster and Beatty have never met. The winner of their bout takes on the winner of the matchup between No. 9 Cayle Byers of George Mason and John McClure of Eastern Michigan.
Rounding out the list of Cowboy competitors is fourth-seeded heavyweight Jared Rosholt, who will go against Oregon State's Clayton Jack in the second round following a first-round bye. Rosholt, who placed fourth at last year's NCAA Championships, has never faced Jack. The winner of their bout takes on the winner of the match between D.J. Russo of Rutgers and David Marone of Virginia Tech. Rosholt has never faced Russo or Marone.
The 12th-ranked Cowboys finished the regular season with a 15-7 overall record and placed fourth at the Big 12 Championships.
With 34 NCAA team championships and 133 NCAA individual titles to its credit, Oklahoma State wrestling boasts a tradition that is unmatched by any other program in the nation. No other team has more than 21 team titles or 76 individual champs.
