Oklahoma State University Athletics
Pokes Set For Big 12 Championships
March 03, 2010 | Cowboy Wrestling
Complete Release in PDF Format 
March 3, 2010
Cowboy Wrestling This Week
Big 12 Championships
March 6, 2010 :: All Day Beginning at 11 a.m. :: McCasland Fieldhouse (Norman, Okla.)
Television: FSN (tape delayed to be aired March 11, check local listings for time)
TV Announcers: J Carl Guymon and Lee Roy Smith
Radio: 780 KSPI-AM (morning session) and 93.7 KSPI-FM (evening session)
Radio Announcer: Roger Moore
Live Internet Video: big12sports.com (prelims)/foxsportssouthwest.com (championships)
Live Internet Audio: okstate.com
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The Basics
The No. 4 Oklahoma State wrestling team (15-2-1 overall; 3-1-1 Big 12) travels to Norman to compete at the 2010 Big 12 Wrestling Championships on March 6 in McCasland Fieldhouse. The first session of the tournament begins at 11 a.m. and the second session begins at 4 p.m. The championships are slated for 7 p.m.
Ticket Information
Fans can purchase tickets online at SoonerSports.com or by calling the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU. Tickets can be purchased on an all-session or single-session basis. Single-session tickets are based on availability. All seats are reserved.
On The Air
All of the matches leading up to the finals will be streamed live on Big12Sports.com. FSN will be on hand for the finals, streaming live on foxsportssouthwest.com. FSN also will televise a delayed broadcast of the championship event on March 11. It will be carried at Noon CT on FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports Oklahoma and FOX Sports Houston, and at 12:30 PM CT on Fox Sports Midwest and FOX Sports Kansas City.
The event will also be aired live on the radio in Stillwater with Roger Moore on the call. Everything leading up to the finals will be on 780 KSPI-AM radio and the finals will be live on 93.7 KSPI-FM radio. The broadcast begins at 10:30 a.m. The feed from KSPI's broadcast will also be streamed live online at okstate.com.
About the Field
Once again, the Big 12 is among the elite conferences in the country. Four of the five teams competing for the conference crown are ranked in the top 20 nationally, with three of the five teams ranked eighth or higher in the final NWCA coaches poll.
From an individual standpoint, 23 of the 50 wrestlers expected to compete in Norman are ranked among the top-10 in the nation at their respective weight classes by the Amateur Wrestling News.
Big 12 Team Championships (1997-present)
1. Oklahoma State - 8
2. Iowa State - 3
3. Oklahoma - 2
4. Nebraska - 1
5. Missouri - 0
Big 12 Individual Champions (1997-present)
1. Oklahoma State - 50
2. Iowa State - 28
3. Oklahoma - 22
4. Nebraska - 17
5. Missouri - 13
Cowboys Year-by-Year at Big 12 Championships
Year Place Champions
1997 1st 6 (T. Moore, Schmidt, Reyna, H. Moore, Branch, M. Smith)
1998 1st 6 (T. Moore, Schmidt, Arias, H. Moore, M . Smith, Lee)
1999 2nd 3 (Guerrero, Wright, M. Smith)
2000 1st 4 (Ragan, Wright, Wilcox, Munoz)
2001 1st 4 (Thompson, Wright, Lewis, Munoz)
2002 2nd 3 (Holman, Thompson, Wilcox)
2003 1st 6 (Thompson, Sanders, Roller, Pendleton, Lawal, Gruenwald)
2004 1st 4 (Thompson, Esposito, Lewis, Jake Rosholt)
2005 1st 7 (Scott, Morgan, Esposito, Ward, Hendricks, Pendleton, Mocco)
2006 1st 4 (Morgan, Esposito, Hendricks, Mocco)
2007 3rd 3 (Scott, Morgan, Hendricks)
2008 3rd 1 (Jared Rosholt)
2009 4th 0
John Smith Goes For 11th Team Conference Crown...
Oklahoma State coach John Smith is going for his 11th conference championship as head coach of the Cowboys. Smith led the Pokes to Big 8 crowns in 1994 and 1996 and guided his alma mater to Big 12 championships in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
In his 17 previous coaching appearances at the conference tournament, Smith has coached 62 conference champions.
...But Will Have To Do It With An Inexperienced Group
Of the 10 wrestlers expected to compete for OSU at the Big 12 Championships, only four -- Jamal Parks, Luke Silver, Neil Erisman and Jared Rosholt have competed at the event at their current weight class. A closer look:
Wrestler Big 12 Finish (2007-08-09)
125 Chris Notte* --, --, 2nd
133 Jordan Oliver* Never competed
141 Jamal Parks --, --, 3rd
149 Luke Silver --, --, 4th
149 Quinten Fuentes* Never competed
157 Neil Erisman --, --, 3rd
165 Alex Meade* Never competed
174 Mike Benefiel* Never competed
184 Clayton Foster* --, 5th, 4th
197 Alan Gelogaev* Never competed
285 Jared Rosholt 2nd, 1st, 4th
* First time at Big 12 Championships at current weight class
Rosholt Looking To Become A Two-Time Big 12 Champion
Senior Jared Rosholt is going for his second Big 12 heavyweight title, as he won the crown in 2008. If he is going to accomplish the feat, he is going to have to emerge from a bracket that includes reigning NCAA champion Mark Ellis of Missouri and two-time All-American and reigning Big 12 champion David Zabriskie of Iowa State.
Should Rosholt win the title, he would become the sixth Cowboy heavyweight to win multiple conference crowns, joining Joe James (1963 and 1964), John Ward (1968 and 1969), Jimmy Jackson (1976, 1977 and 1978), Tom Erikson (1986 and 1987) and Steve Mocco (2005 and 2006).
Rosholt Has The Hot Hand
With 120 career victories, Jared Rosholt is the winningest heavyweight in OSU history. He brings a 27-match winning streak into the Big 12 Championships and has won his last eight bouts vs. ranked opponents, including four straight over foes ranked in the top 10. He has added bonus points in eight of his last 14 wins overall.
Rankings Paint An Encouraging Picture
Based purely off the current Amateur Wrestling News rankings, Oklahoma State should have a strong showing at the Big 12 Championships. The AWN has OSU wrestlers ranked as either the No. 1 or No. 2 competitors in seven of the 10 weight classes at the conference championship.
No other team can make that claim, as Iowa State has six wrestlers ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the league, Oklahoma has three and both Missouri and Nebraska have two.
Back in the Saddle Again
Oklahoma State is back to claim its customary spot among the leaders of collegiate wrestling -- and perhaps a year ahead of schedule.
OSU has no fewer than eight All-America candidates in the lineup this season and seven of those eight wrestlers will be back next year. Combine that with perhaps the top coaching staff in America -- John Smith owns more NCAA team titles and has coached more NCAA individual champions than any other active coach and head assistant coach Eric Guerrero recently served as head coach of Team USA at the 2009 FILA Junior Freestyle World Championships -- and it becomes clear that the road to post-season glory the next three seasons runs through Stillwater.
Team Leaders
Overall Wins: Mike Benefiel - 30
Dual Wins: Jared Rosholt - 18
Dual Points: Jared Rosholt - 68
Wins vs. Ranked Opponents: Jared Rosholt - 8
Bonus Point Wins: Mike Benefiel - 21
Dual Takedowns: Jordan Oliver - 51
Dual Escapes: Neil Erisman - 30
Dual Reversals: Chris Notte - 6
Dual Nearfalls: Neil Erisman - 17
Meade Is Two-Time Big 12 Wrestler of the Week
Cowboy 165-pounder Alex Meade is a two-time selection as Big 12 Wrestler of the Week this season. He earned the recognition after toppling No. 2 Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota on Dec. 4 and beating No. 4 Ryan Morningstar of Iowa in Iowa City on Jan. 16.
Foster, Rosholt Have Won Big 12 Honors As Well
OSU 184-pounder Clayton Foster and 285-pounder Jared Rosholt have also been singled out as Big 12 Wrestlers of the Week this year. Foster secured the honor after toppling No. 6 Joe LeBlanc of Wyoming on Jan. 29 and Rosholt took home the recognition after beating reigning NCAA champion Mark Ellis of Missouri on Feb. 7.
OSU Freshmen Making A Name For Themselves
What do Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter, Iowa's Ryan Morningstar, Cal Poly's Boris Novachkov and Iowa's Daniel Dennis all have in common besides the fact that they are all top-five wrestlers nationally? They were all beaten by OSU freshmen this year.
With a 26-2 record that includes five wins over ranked opponents, Cowboy 133-pounder Jordan Oliver joins 165-pounder Alex Meade (27-6 record with four wins over ranked opponents) as part of the young nucleus of the Oklahoma State roster.
Catching Up With The Redshirts
Oklahoma State has a very talented group of true freshmen competing as redshirts this year, led by 184-pounder Chris Perry, who owns a 15-1 overall record and three open tournament titles. Perry's lone defeat was a 7-4 setback at the hands of OSU teammate and All-America candidate Clayton Foster at the Central Missouri Open.
Freshman 125-pounder Jon Morrison is 9-1 on the open tournament circuit this year with his only loss coming to Northwestern All-American Brandon Precin at the Missouri Open.
Family Ties
John Smith is coaching a pair of his nephews this year in true freshmen Chris Perry and Zach White. Perry is the son of John's sister, Cathy and White is the son of Smith's sister Mary Ann.
Both Perry and White are redshirting this season.
Red, White and OSU
A quartet of Cowboys represented the United States on the international scene during the summer of 2009, with John Smith coaching the USA senior freestyle team at the FILA World Championships in Herning, Denmark, head assistant coach Eric Guerrero serving as head coach for Team USA at the FILA junior freestyle world championships in Ankara, Turkey and Jordan Oliver and Chris Perry both suiting up for Team USA at the FILA junior freestyle world championships.
Oliver won bronze in the 60-kilogram bracket and Perry placed sixth in the 84-kilogram bracket at junior worlds.
Foster Has Team USA Experience As Well
Though he did not suit up in the Stars and Stripes this past summer, 184-pounder Clayton Foster represented the USA at the 2008 FILA junior world freestyle championships and had a nice showing, winning the bronze medal at the event.
Call Him "Z"
Oklahoma State 197-pounder Alan Gelogaev is one of the most talked-about wrestlers in the country.
Born in Chechenya, Gelogaev claims Moscow, Russia as his hometown. Prior to enrolling at OSU, he trained for five years under Russian wrestling legend and nine-time world champion Buvaisar Saitiev in Siberia.
During his training in Siberia, he connected with former Cowboy Olympian Daniel Cormier and followed Cormier to Stillwater, where he is now mentored by six-time world champion John Smith.
His nickname, "Z" comes from his middle name, Zelim.
Fargo Champions Everywhere
The 2009-10 Oklahoma State roster includes a staggering seven different Fargo junior freestyle national champions. The list:
Clayton Foster 2006
Albert White 2006
Mike Benefiel 2007
Jon Morrison 2007
Jordan Oliver 2007
Jamal Parks 2007
Chris Perry 2008
