OU Wrestlers Garner Big 12 Honors

March 1, 2000

NORMAN, Okla. - University of Oklahoma wrestler Witt Durden was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week and David Kjeldgaard was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team the league office announced on Wednesday.

Durden, a 133-pound sophomore from Dublin, Ga., upset Michigan State's second-ranked Pat McNamara, 3-2, in OU's 31-5 win over Michigan State last Thursday. The win improved his record to 16-9. Durden is currently ranked No. 16 by Amateur Wrestling News and No. 13 by InterMat.

"I'm honored because the Big 12 is the best conference in the country," said Durden. "It's a big honor."

"First of all, we're real proud of Witt. What a tremendous accomplishment," said Head Coach Jack Spates. "When you're a freshman wrestling at this level, banging against the top guys in the country, it's easy to get discouraged. Witt did go through a period where he was struggling with his confidence, but he's battled back and the evidence is a win of this magnitude. I think it sets the stage for things in weeks to come."

Kjeldgaard, a 157-pound junior from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team for the second-straight season. Last season, he was also named GTE/CoSida All-Academic District VI and honorable mention Academic All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches' Association. Kjeldgaard is currently 26-3 on the season and ranked sixth by Amateur Wrestling News and fourth by InterMat

"It's an honor to be recognized as a part of the Academic All-Big 12 Team," said Kjeldgaard. "I put a lot of effort into my academics and it's nice to receive awards recognizing the effort student-athletes put in their studies."

"We're very proud of him," said Spates. "To me he is the epitome of the student-athlete. He's devoted himself to excellence on the mat, in the classroom and in life. He's a very deserving individual."

Durden, Kjeldgaard and the rest of the Sooners travel to Lincoln, Neb., this Sunday to compete in the Big 12 Championships. Action begins at 11 a.m.