Lightner Claims Fourth Big 12 Wrestling Championship

March 3, 2001

Post-Match Audio
Head Coach Jack Spates
Michael Lightner
Leonce Crump

STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma senior 141-pounder Michael Lightner claimed his fourth Big 12 Championship to become the Sooners first four-time conference champion and the first wrestler to win four Big 12 titles today at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships in Stillwater, Okla. As a team, OU finished in second place with 68 points behind conference Champion Oklahoma State (85). Iowa State placed third (67.5) followed by Nebraska (50) and Missouri (10.5). Nine Sooners qualified for the NCAA Championships in Iowa City, Iowa. Conference champions Lightner and heavyweight Leonce Crump, runners-up Matt Ridings (125), Jared Frayer (149) and Robbie Waller (165), third-place finisher Josh Lambrecht (184), and wildcard qualifiers Witt Durden (133), Michael Barger (174) and Waymon May (197) all advanced to the championships.

Lightner scored four takedowns against Oklahoma State's Charles Walker in the championship match for an 8-4 victory. Crump's only takedown came late in the period in his 3-1 triumph against James Huml of OSU. Ridings and Waller each lost by scores of 5-1 to Nebraska's Jason Powell and Iowa State's Joe Heskett, respectively. Frayer lost to three-time 149-pound Big 12 Champion Reggie Wright, 3-0.

OU's Lambrecht qualified for the NCAA Championships by placing third at 184 pounds. Lambrecht won both of his matches by fall, pinning Nebraska's Matt Fletcher in 1:54 in the consolations semifinals and Ry Stone of Missouri in 1:48 in the third-place match. Four other Sooners placed fourth. Barger dropped his consolation semifinal match, 7-3, to NU's Ati Conner before pinning Mizzou's John Kopnisky (3:29) in the fourth-place challenge. Zach Thompson of Iowa State threw May for the deciding points at the buzzer for a 3-1 win in the third place match at 197. Durden (133) and Burrows (157) also fell in their third-place matches.

"I'm proud of the way our guys wrestled," said OU Head Coach Jack Spates. "We came here to win, but we wrestled well in beating the fourth-ranked team in the country (Iowa State), so we're not too disappointed. What Michael Lightner has done is remarkable. To win a conference championship you have to be a great wrestler but to win four you have to be phenomenal. I'm so proud that he became OU's first four-time conference champion and the first four-time Big 12 champion. He's as good a person as he is a wrestler. Leonce Crump is just a freshman and he's had a great season. I'm very proud of the way he wrestled."

Oklahoma's nine NCAA qualifiers will return to action on March 15-17 when they travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for the NCAA Wrestling Championships.




TEAM RESULTS

Oklahoma State 85

Oklahoma       68

Iowa State     67.5

Nebraska       50

Missouri       10.5



OKLAHOMA RESULTS

Consolation Semifinals

174: Ati Conner (12-11), NU, dec. Michael Barger (26-11), OU, 7-3

184: Josh Lambrecht (15-14), OU, fall Matt Fletcher (9-16), NU, 1:54



Third-Place Match

133: Matt Azevedo (29-9), ISU, dec. Witt Durden (26-15), OU, 2-1

157: Shane Roller (14-11), OSU, dec. Brian Burrows (11-8), OU, 11-7

184: Josh Lambrecht (16-14), OU, fall Ry Stone (15-15), MU, 1:48

197: Zach Thompson (29-5), dec. Waymon May (29-12), OU, 3-1



Fourth-Place Challenge

174: Michael Barger (27-11), OU, fall John Kopnisky (28-7), 3:29



Championship Finals

125: Jason Powell (19-6), NU, dec. Matt Ridings (25-5), OU, 5-1

141: Michael Lightner (32-0), OU, dec. Charles Walker (17-7), OSU, 8-4

149: Reggie Wright (28-0), OSU, dec. Jared Frayer (34-6), OU, 3-0

165: Joe Heskett (32-3), ISU, dec. Robbie Waller (29-5), OU, 5-1

Hwt: Leonce Crump (29-9), OU, dec. James Huml (19-10), OSU, 3-2

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Lightner Claims Fourth Big 12 Wrestling Championship

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