Sooner Wrestling Falls at Missouri, 21-15

The tenth-ranked Oklahoma wrestling team ended the regular season with a loss against fifth ranked Missouri, 21-15. The loss puts the Sooners overall record at 14-8 and 0-6 in the Big 12 Conference and gives Missouri only its fourth win in 41 tries against Oklahoma. The Sooners won four out of ten matches against the Tigers. Three of those wins came by way of decision; the other was a forfeit at 149 pounds.

“It is very frustrating not to put our whole team on the mat,” Oklahoma head coach Jack Spates said. “It was the right decision. We will learn from it.”

The four wins for Oklahoma came from three freshmen and one senior. Freshman Sam Hazewinkel, freshman Mimi Miller and senior Leonce Crump won their matches by decision and freshman Jeff Ecklof won his by a forfeit.

After cracking the century mark for career wins Friday, fourth ranked Crump recorded the first win of the dual for Oklahoma with a 2-0 decision over 14th ranked Mike Whitehead. The match was slow with no action in the first period. Crump got on the board after an escape at the 1:09 mark of the second period. The only other point of the match went to Crump after a caution of Whitehead with two minutes left in the third period.

“Leonce had to ride the guy out in the third period to win the match,” Spates said. “That is tough to do, which shows his hard work.”

The Sooners went on a roll after Crump's decision and won the next two matches.

Tenth ranked Hazewinkel squeaked out a victory at 125 pounds against Austin DeVoe by a 5-4 decision. This match would prove to be an exciting one, coming down to the wire. The first period had Hazewinkel in the lead 2-1 after a takedown and an escape by DeVoe. DeVoe lead after two periods scoring a reverse with four seconds left. Hazewinkel scored a reverse of his own in the third period, but then was cautioned giving a point to DeVoe and tying the match. Hazewinkel got an escape with just two seconds left on the clock to win a thriller, 5-4.

The next victory for Oklahoma was at 133 pounds.

15th ranked Miller bounced back from being pinned on Friday to win a decisive match over Brett Watkins by an 11-5 decision. After two periods the score had Miller leading 4-2 after two takedowns by Miller and two escapes by Watkins. The third period saw an explosion of points with Miller scoring six points off two takedowns and one reverse and Watkins scoring only three points off escapes.

“Sam and Mimi both fought like lions,” Spates said. “Mimi almost got the major and Sam won by only one point, but dominated the match.”

The last win of the night for the Sooners came at 149 pounds when Missouri forfeit the match giving ninth ranked Ecklof the fall by forfeit and Oklahoma six team points. This match was supposed to be Spates vs. Spates. Coach Spate's son, Jeremy, could not wrestle because of a strained knee ligament he hurt on Wednesday.

“Missouri made the right decision to hold Jeremy out,” Spates said. “It would have been a tough match for dear old dad.”

This dual ended the regular season for Oklahoma. The Sooners will wrestle next in the Big 12 Championships on March 6, in Ames, Iowa all day.

“Nobody better write us off,” Spates said. “Learn from history, we have one of the toughest schedules in the country and that will only help us. We will be better at Big 12 and nationals.”

Weight-By-Weight Results
165: Woodley (MU) Dec. 8-4 Jones (OU)
174: Askren (MU) Tech. Fall 17-2 Waldhaus (OU)
184: Pell (MU) Dec. 8-3 Dyer (OU)
197: Foust (MU) Maj. Dec. 10-1 Tapler (OU)
HWT: Crump (OU) Dec. 2-0 Whitehead (MU)
125: Hazewinkel (OU) Dec. 5-4 DeVoe (MU)
133: Miller (OU) Dec. 11-5 Watkins (MU)
141: Reese (MU) Dec. 7-0 Kidd (OU)
149: Ecklof (OU) Fall by Forfeit
157: Burleson (MU) Dec. 10-4 Maturino (OU)

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Wrestling Falls at Missouri, 21-15

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