Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Bruce Waterfield
Cowboy Wrestling Sits in Second Place After Session One at NCAAs
March 16, 2017 | Cowboy Wrestling
Photo Gallery
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Oklahoma State wrestling team wrapped up the first session at the 2017 NCAA Championships Thursday morning in second place, going 9-1 in individual bouts with four bonus point wins. Session II is set to begin Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the Scottrade Center.
The Cowboys' 15 team points are just one point behind the leading Penn State Nittany Lions, and put them in a strong position heading into the second session. OSU's nine wrestlers still in the championship bracket lead all schools in the field.
"The first round is never one that you're completely pleased with, but I feel good about getting nine of my 10 through," head coach John Smith said. "It was a good effort with a number of bonus points. We got a couple pins. It was little bit tight, which doesn't surprise me. We just need to come out blaring in the second round now that we got that first match underneath us."
The Cowboys used bonus-point wins from four wrestlers, including a pair of falls from Nick Piccininni at 125 pounds and Chandler Rogers at 165.
In his first career match at the NCAA Championships, Piccininni opened the day strong for the Cowboys, pinning Indiana's Elijah Oliver in the first period to advance into the round of 16. After being taken down in the opening seconds of the match, Piccininni responded with a reversal and a pair of nearfalls before finally catching Oliver on his back for the fall. The redshirt freshman will face North Dakota State's Josh Rodriguez Thursday night.
Kaid Brock added bonus points as well at 133 pounds over Scott Delvecchio of Rutgers. Brock led throughout, registering a quick takedown early in the first period and not looking back to finish off the 12-4 major. The redshirt freshman will match up with 14th-seeded Mitch McKee of Minnesota in the round of 16. Brock will be looking for his third win over McKee this season.
At 141 pounds, Dean Heil advanced with a 6-5 decision over Brock Zacherl of Clarion in the first round. With Heil leading, 3-1, after two periods, Zacherl opened the final frame with an escape followed by a takedown to take a 4-3 lead early in the third. After a Heil escape to tie the match, the Cowboy junior converted a clutch takedown with just over a minute to go and held on for the win. Heil is set to face No. 16 seed Jared Prince of Navy in Thursday night's round of 16.
Senior Anthony Collica scored a major decision for the Pokes with an 11-2 victory over Wyoming's Cole Mendenhall. Leading, 9-2, as the bout wound down, Collica used a takedown in the final second of the match to lock up the major. The OSU senior will look to keep rolling when he goes against Rutgers' Kenny Theobold, the No. 15 seed, in the second session.
Joe Smith gutted out a 4-3 decision over Purdue's Alex Griffin to clinch his spot in the round of 16. With the match tied at two in the third period and Griffin with well over a minute of riding time under his belt, Smith notched a crucial takedown and rode the riding time clock down to 59 seconds before releasing the Boilermaker. The Cowboy would hang on, advancing to face Penn's May Bethea in Thursday night's round of 16.
Chandler Rogers tallied the third pin in his last four matches, decking North Dakota State's Andrew Fogarty in 2:27. Rogers dominated Fogarty by racking up three takedowns in the two-and-a-half minutes before the fall, which was his 10th of the season. The redshirt sophomore will take on West Virginia's Dylan Cottrell in the round of 16 in a rematch of the Big 12 finals.
The Cowboys suffered their lone loss of the opening session at 174 pounds, as senior Kyle Crutchmer fell to SIU-Edwardsville's Jake Residori in a 6-5 decision. Crutchmer will aim to bounce back against Purdue's Jacob Morrisey in Thursday's second session.
Nolan Boyd got the Pokes back on track at 184 with a 7-1 win over Wisconsin's Hunter Ritter. Boyd overwhelmed Ritter, scoring a pair of takedowns and a reversal to deny the Badger any hope of the upset. Boyd and Chattanooga's Bryce Carr will battle it out for a spot in the quarterfinals Thursday night.
At 197 pounds, Preston Weigel rebounded from a scoreless first two periods with an explosive third to defeat Iowa State's Marcus Harrington, 7-0. Weigel chose to open the final frame on top, and the decision paid off. The Cowboy redshirt sophomore was able to turn Harrington for a pair of nearfalls to separate himself and nearly pick up the major decision. Weigel is set for a bout with 11th-seeded Shawn Scott of Northern Illinois in the round of 16.
Senior heavyweight Austin Schafer finished off the session for the Cowboys, leading throughout in a 4-2 decision over Jere Heino to advance to the round of 16. Schafer will battle Northwestern's Conan Jennings Thursday night for a spot in Friday's quarterfinals.
Fans can tune into ESPN for coverage of Session II. Mat-by-mat coverage for all sessions can be found on ESPN3.com.
2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships | St. Louis, Missouri | Scottrade Center | Session One
Championship Round One
125: No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) fall Elijah Oliver (Indiana) 1:45
133: No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) MD Scott Delvecchio (Rutgers) 12-4
141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) dec. Brock Zacherl (Clarion) 6-5
149: No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) MD Cole Mendenhall (Wyoming) 11-2
157: No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) dec. Alex Griffin (Purdue) 4-3
165: No. 9 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) fall Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) 2:28
174: Jake Residori (SI Edwardsville) dec. No. 7 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State), 6-5
184: No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) dec. Hunter Ritter (Wisconsin) 7-1
197: No. 6 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) dec. Marcus Harrington (Iowa State) 7-0
285: No. 6 Austin Schafer (Oklahoma State) dec. Jere Heino (Campbell) 4-2
Championship Round Two Schedule (Thursday Night)
125: No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 9 Joshua Rodriguez (NDSU)
133: No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 14 Mitch McKee (Minnesota)
141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 16 Jared Prince (Navy)
149: No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 15 Kenny Theobold (Rutgers)
157: No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) vs. May Bethea (Penn)
165: No. 9 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 8 Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia)
184: No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 13 Bryce Carr (Chattanooga)
197: No. 6 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 11 Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois)
285: No. 6 Austin Schafer (Oklahoma State) vs. Conan Jennings (Northwestern)
Consolation Round One Schedule (Thursday Night)
174: No. 7 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State) vs. Jacob Morrissey (Purdue)
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Oklahoma State wrestling team wrapped up the first session at the 2017 NCAA Championships Thursday morning in second place, going 9-1 in individual bouts with four bonus point wins. Session II is set to begin Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the Scottrade Center.
The Cowboys' 15 team points are just one point behind the leading Penn State Nittany Lions, and put them in a strong position heading into the second session. OSU's nine wrestlers still in the championship bracket lead all schools in the field.
"The first round is never one that you're completely pleased with, but I feel good about getting nine of my 10 through," head coach John Smith said. "It was a good effort with a number of bonus points. We got a couple pins. It was little bit tight, which doesn't surprise me. We just need to come out blaring in the second round now that we got that first match underneath us."
The Cowboys used bonus-point wins from four wrestlers, including a pair of falls from Nick Piccininni at 125 pounds and Chandler Rogers at 165.
In his first career match at the NCAA Championships, Piccininni opened the day strong for the Cowboys, pinning Indiana's Elijah Oliver in the first period to advance into the round of 16. After being taken down in the opening seconds of the match, Piccininni responded with a reversal and a pair of nearfalls before finally catching Oliver on his back for the fall. The redshirt freshman will face North Dakota State's Josh Rodriguez Thursday night.
Kaid Brock added bonus points as well at 133 pounds over Scott Delvecchio of Rutgers. Brock led throughout, registering a quick takedown early in the first period and not looking back to finish off the 12-4 major. The redshirt freshman will match up with 14th-seeded Mitch McKee of Minnesota in the round of 16. Brock will be looking for his third win over McKee this season.
At 141 pounds, Dean Heil advanced with a 6-5 decision over Brock Zacherl of Clarion in the first round. With Heil leading, 3-1, after two periods, Zacherl opened the final frame with an escape followed by a takedown to take a 4-3 lead early in the third. After a Heil escape to tie the match, the Cowboy junior converted a clutch takedown with just over a minute to go and held on for the win. Heil is set to face No. 16 seed Jared Prince of Navy in Thursday night's round of 16.
Senior Anthony Collica scored a major decision for the Pokes with an 11-2 victory over Wyoming's Cole Mendenhall. Leading, 9-2, as the bout wound down, Collica used a takedown in the final second of the match to lock up the major. The OSU senior will look to keep rolling when he goes against Rutgers' Kenny Theobold, the No. 15 seed, in the second session.
Joe Smith gutted out a 4-3 decision over Purdue's Alex Griffin to clinch his spot in the round of 16. With the match tied at two in the third period and Griffin with well over a minute of riding time under his belt, Smith notched a crucial takedown and rode the riding time clock down to 59 seconds before releasing the Boilermaker. The Cowboy would hang on, advancing to face Penn's May Bethea in Thursday night's round of 16.
Chandler Rogers tallied the third pin in his last four matches, decking North Dakota State's Andrew Fogarty in 2:27. Rogers dominated Fogarty by racking up three takedowns in the two-and-a-half minutes before the fall, which was his 10th of the season. The redshirt sophomore will take on West Virginia's Dylan Cottrell in the round of 16 in a rematch of the Big 12 finals.
The Cowboys suffered their lone loss of the opening session at 174 pounds, as senior Kyle Crutchmer fell to SIU-Edwardsville's Jake Residori in a 6-5 decision. Crutchmer will aim to bounce back against Purdue's Jacob Morrisey in Thursday's second session.
Nolan Boyd got the Pokes back on track at 184 with a 7-1 win over Wisconsin's Hunter Ritter. Boyd overwhelmed Ritter, scoring a pair of takedowns and a reversal to deny the Badger any hope of the upset. Boyd and Chattanooga's Bryce Carr will battle it out for a spot in the quarterfinals Thursday night.
At 197 pounds, Preston Weigel rebounded from a scoreless first two periods with an explosive third to defeat Iowa State's Marcus Harrington, 7-0. Weigel chose to open the final frame on top, and the decision paid off. The Cowboy redshirt sophomore was able to turn Harrington for a pair of nearfalls to separate himself and nearly pick up the major decision. Weigel is set for a bout with 11th-seeded Shawn Scott of Northern Illinois in the round of 16.
Senior heavyweight Austin Schafer finished off the session for the Cowboys, leading throughout in a 4-2 decision over Jere Heino to advance to the round of 16. Schafer will battle Northwestern's Conan Jennings Thursday night for a spot in Friday's quarterfinals.
Fans can tune into ESPN for coverage of Session II. Mat-by-mat coverage for all sessions can be found on ESPN3.com.
2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships | St. Louis, Missouri | Scottrade Center | Session One
Championship Round One
125: No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) fall Elijah Oliver (Indiana) 1:45
133: No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) MD Scott Delvecchio (Rutgers) 12-4
141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) dec. Brock Zacherl (Clarion) 6-5
149: No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) MD Cole Mendenhall (Wyoming) 11-2
157: No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) dec. Alex Griffin (Purdue) 4-3
165: No. 9 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) fall Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) 2:28
174: Jake Residori (SI Edwardsville) dec. No. 7 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State), 6-5
184: No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) dec. Hunter Ritter (Wisconsin) 7-1
197: No. 6 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) dec. Marcus Harrington (Iowa State) 7-0
285: No. 6 Austin Schafer (Oklahoma State) dec. Jere Heino (Campbell) 4-2
Championship Round Two Schedule (Thursday Night)
125: No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 9 Joshua Rodriguez (NDSU)
133: No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 14 Mitch McKee (Minnesota)
141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 16 Jared Prince (Navy)
149: No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 15 Kenny Theobold (Rutgers)
157: No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) vs. May Bethea (Penn)
165: No. 9 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 8 Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia)
184: No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 13 Bryce Carr (Chattanooga)
197: No. 6 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 11 Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois)
285: No. 6 Austin Schafer (Oklahoma State) vs. Conan Jennings (Northwestern)
Consolation Round One Schedule (Thursday Night)
174: No. 7 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State) vs. Jacob Morrissey (Purdue)
Players Mentioned
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
/ Cowboy Wrestling
Tuesday, July 07
Tuesday, July 07
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
