Lightner Claims National Championship

March 17, 2001

Head Coach Spates Audio

M. Lightner Audio

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Michael Lightner claimed an NCAA Championship at 141 pounds at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Iowa City, Iowa, this afternoon. It was the senior's first title after finishing as runner-up the past two seasons. Four other Sooners - Witt Durden (third at 133), Jared Frayer (fourth at 149), Leonce Crump (fourth at heavyweight) and Josh Lambrecht (seventh at 184) - earned All-America honors for the first time and finished in the top seven. As a team, the Sooners placed fourth with 93.5 points. OU also finished fourth last season, giving the Sooners their highest back-to-back NCAA finishes since placing as runner-up in both 1985 and 1986.

Lightner defeated Iowa's top-ranked Doug Schwab in the championship bout, 5-4. Lightner scored two first-period takedowns to take a 4-1 lead and never trailed. Schwab had beaten Lightner in all three of their previous meetings, including the 1999 NCAA Championships. Lightner finishes his senior campaign 37-0, the most wins ever by an Oklahoma wrestler in an undefeated season. The Sooners' second all-time winningest wrestler, he compiled a 144-16 mark for his career and become OU's first four-time All-American since John Kading from 1994-97. Lightner became the first OU grappler to claim four conference titles and the first four-time champion in Big 12 history.

"It's a great feeling, a feeling of relief," said Lightner. "I've waited my whole career for this. I've been right there so many times. This is what you shoot for. It's a dream come true. Now I'm at peace. I won't be wrestling this match in my head over and over at night. I'll close my eyes and see my hand being raised."

"Michael Lightner is the man," said OU Head Coach Jack Spates. "If I had my druthers, I would have had the tournament somewhere else, although it's fitting in a rivalry to beat your rival at his house. It's an awesome accomplishment to be a four-time All-American, three-time finalist and NCAA champion. Going in we felt good. We were pleased with his training - physically and mentally - and his focus."

Witt Durden continued his improbable run through the national tournament by finishing third. He decisioned fifth-seeded Roman Fleszar of Hofstra, 10-5, in the consolation semifinals. Durden scored the match's opening takedown and controlled the bout. Durden escaped Nebraska's third-seeded Todd Beckerman with less than a minute remaining for a 4-3 win. The unseeded Durden scored the key move in the match when he put Beckerman on his back for two near-fall points. The sophomore placed fourth at the Big 12 Championships. It was also his first career victory against Beckerman. Durden finished his junior campaign with a 32-17 record.

Eighth-seeded Jared Frayer finished fourth at the championships. He advanced to the third-place match by blanking No. 7 JaMarr Billman of Lock Haven, 5-0. Frayer led 1-0 in the final minute but scored three near-fall points to put the match away. He lost the third-place match to Iowa's Mike Zadick, 5-3. Zadick scored a takedown with seven seconds remaining for the win. Frayer had beaten Zadick in the quarterfinals, 11-4. Frayer tallied a career-high 38 wins to just eight losses this season and recorded 19 pins, a personal best and second highest single-season total in school history.

Redshirt-freshman Leonce Crump (No. 9 at heavyweight) also finished fourth. He upset Northern Iowa's #6 Paul Hynek by major decision, 11-3, in the consolation semifinals to advance to the third-place match. Crump recorded four takedowns and accumulated 2:47 in riding time against Hynek. He suffered his second loss of the tournament to top-seeded Garrett Lowney of Minnesota - the only wrestler to defeat Crump at nationals - by fall in 42 seconds. Crump's fourth-place finish is the highest by an OU freshman since Roger Frizzell placed fourth in 1980. Crump ended the season with a record of 34-11.

Josh Lambrecht placed seventh at the championships by pinning Kyle Hanson of Northern Iowa in 4:52. The fall was his second of the championships (he pinned #6 Doug Lee in the second round). Lambrecht, a sophomore who is in his first season at Oklahoma, sat at 8-11 after the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals but finished 12-5 down the stretch.

"Michael's win capped a brilliant team performance," Spates further stated. "Previously we had ups and downs, but with a champ and four other All-Americans we had an outstanding tournament. If you look at what we did, we maximized our performance. Witt Durden was spectacular. He beat several wrestlers that had beaten him during the season. Josh Lambrecht entered the tournament two matches over .500 and placed seventh. He scored in bonus in three of his matches and had two pins. Leonce Crump, a freshman, was dominant. Jared Frayer was great. Michael Lightner was great. Everyone else was just a hair away. I'd like to thank my assistant coaches - Barry Weldon, Rodney Jones and Derek DelPorto - they did a tremendous job. They worked hard, had faith and gave tremendous insight. It was a great day of wrestling."

Oklahoma Day-Three Results Finals 141:#2 Michael Lightner, OU, dec. #1 Doug Schwab, Iowa, 5-4
Consolation Semifinals 133:Witt Durden, OU, dec. #5 Roman Fleszar, Hofstra, 10-5 149:#8 Jared Frayer, OU, dec. #7 JaMarr Billman, Lock Haven, 5-0 Hwt:#9 Leonce Crump, OU, maj. dec. #6 Paul Hynek, Northern Iowa, 11-3
Third-Place Match 133:Witt Durden, OU, dec. #3 Todd Beckerman, Nebraska, 4-3 149:Mike Zadick, Iowa, dec, #8 Jared Frayer, OU, 5-3 Hwt:#1 Garrett Lowney, Minnesota, fall #9 Leonce Crump, OU, :42
Seventh-Place Match 184:Josh Lambrecht, OU, fall Kyle Hanson, Northern Iowa, 4:52

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