Cowboys Fall to Tigers in Top-Five Matchup

Saturday, January 27

Stillwater, OK

7 P.M.

Oklahoma State University

Missouri

Photo by: Bruce Waterfield

January 27, 2018 | Cowboy Wrestling

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STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team fell at home Saturday evening to the third-ranked Missouri Tigers, 21-19, at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The loss marks the No. 5 Cowboys' second of the season and the first time they've lost at home to Missouri since 2009.

"Somebody's got to kind of be a hero in some big matches," head coach John Smith said. "Somebody's got to step up and do something, and we just didn't quite have that.

"It seemed like Preston Weigel, in the middle of the second, struggled finishing that match—kind of odd because we haven't seen that out of him. You give up at stalling point in 184 at the end of the match. Your two-time national champion gets pinned. Those are things that make it hard to be back in the match when those things happen early and I thought we were in control of it as we went into 197.I knew he was tough, but after the first takedown it just seemed like he hit a wall. Not sure what it was. The rest of the matches, 184, just find a way to stay inbounds, give yourself a chance to take a shot."

Redshirt freshman Nick Piccininni picked up the first win of the evening for the Cowboys over Missouri's Barlow McGhee. Piccininni scored a takedown in the first and went up 2-0 before McGhee was forced to forfeit after undergoing concussion protocol.

Kaid Brock took the 8-7 decision from John Erneste in wild bout at 133 pounds. Brock scored a pair of takedowns in the first before allowing an escape to begin the second period then being taken to his back. Erneste tallied a four-point nearfall, but Brock averted a pin late in the second. Trailing 5-4 entering the final period the Cowboy scored back-to-back takedowns within 14 seconds to finish the match.

In a top-five matchup, Dean Heil suffered his third loss of the season by way of fall at the hands of No. 3 Jaydin Eierman. The Cowboy was taken down early in the first but escaped shortly after. Heil opted for the bottom position in the second and scored a reversal but Eierman responded with a reversal of his own and a four-point nearfall. No. 5 Heil escaped, but was quickly taken down again before surrendering the fall at the 4:49 mark.

At 149 pounds, Boo Lewallen fell to No. 3 Grant Leeth in an 8-4 decision. Lewallen struggled throughout the match to finish shots, scoring only on escapes in the first two periods with no point production in the third.

Fourth-ranked Joey Lavallee defeated Cowboy Jonce Blaylock in a 9-5 decision with riding time. Lavallee had a productive first period that included a takedown and four-point nearfall. Blaylock was unable to get much offense going before the final period when he scored two quick takedowns to finish the match and prevent bonus points.

In a pivotal match at 165, after trailing through the first period, No. 10 Chandler Rogers picked up the pace to record a fall with 1:43 remaining in the second period. Connor Flynn took Rogers to his back for two and collected a four-point nearfall early in the first before Rogers responded with an escape and takedown. Rogers started the second on bottom and scored a reversal before collecting the pin—his seventh of the season.

At 174 pounds, Jacobe Smith dropped a 7-3 decision to undefeated and fourth-ranked Daniel Lewis. Smith struggled some after dinging his knee in the first period. Unable to get much offense going, he scored only on escapes and a penalty point.

Keegan Moore dropped his match at 184, 2-1, on a last-second penalty call for fleeing the mat. After a scoreless first period, Moore elected to take the bottom position and scored an escape in the second, but Marriott would match it with an escape of his own in third before Moore was penalized with just nine seconds to go in the bout.

Preston Weigel lost his first match of the season in a 10-4 decision to Missouri's Willie Miklus at 197 pounds. Weigel struggled offensively after scoring a first-period takedown and No. 7 Miklus capitalized in the final period with an escape, takedown and four-point nearfall.

The Cowboys finished the night with a 17-4 major decision for heavyweight Derek White. The No. 10 Cowboy racked up three takedowns and a two-point nearfall in the first period. White continued on his tear with three more takedowns, an escape and riding time en route to his eighth major of the season.

The Cowboys return to the mat in Gallagher-Iba to face Big 12 opponent Iowa State on Sunday Jan. 28 at 2 p.m.

No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 3 Missouri
Jan. 27, 2018 | Gallagher-Iba Arena | Stillwater, Okla.
125: No. 7 Nick Piccininni (OSU) inj. def. Barlow McGhee
133: No. 3 Kaid Brock (OSU) dec. No. 7 John Erneste (MIZZ) 8-7
141: No. 3 Jaydin Eierman (MIZZ) fall No. 5 Dean Heil (OSU)
149: No. 3 Grant Leeth (MIZZ) dec. No. 15 Boo Lewallen (OSU) 8-4
157: No. 4 Joey Lavallee (MIZZ) dec. Jonce Blaylock (OSU) 9-5
165: No. 10 Chandler Rogers (OSU) fall Connor Flynn (MIZZ) 3-2
174: No. 4 Daniel Lewis (MIZZ) dec. No. 14 Jacobe Smith (OSU) 7-3
184: No.14 Canten Marriott (MIZZ) dec. Keegan Moore (OSU) 2-1
197: No. 7 Willie Miklus (MIZZ) dec. Preston Weigel (OSU) 10-4
HWT: No. 10 Derek White (OSU) MD Wyatt Koelling (MIZZ) 17-4