No. 8 Oklahoma Wrestling Defeats Michigan State, 29-6

In their last match before Bedlam the eighth ranked Sooners hosted Michigan State Friday at the Howard McCasland Field House winning by a score of 29-6. Oklahoma won eight matches with three major decisions and one fall. The dual was highlighted by Leonce Crump picking up the Sooners first win with a fall making it 36 career pins. Crump, Rafael Maturino, Daniel Caruthers and Danny Rubenstein will wrestle their last matches Sunday against Oklahoma State at the Lloyd Noble Center. Before the dual started Oklahoma said goodbye to four seniors with a ceremony in their honor.

“I'm proud of our guys,” Oklahoma head coach Jack Spates said. “It was a good strong win. They are a very tough team to wrestle. Our guys were confident and the showed it on the mat. I am pleased with the effort.”

Fourth ranked Crump recorded his 36th career pin tying him for sixth place all-time with former Sooners Danny Hodge and Josh Lambrecht. Crump only needed 2:05 to get the fall. Crump scored a takedown at the 2:32 mark in the first period to score the only points, he then pinned his opponent to win the first match for the Sooners.

“Leonce is committed to working hard,” Spates said. “We told him he has to have riding time on everyone he wrestles. Leonce is working real hard to make it happen. He is a great athlete and has great technique and is a big time gamer when it counts. He wants nothing to stand between him and a national championship.”

Maturino wrestled a tough match back at his original weight class of 157 pounds, only winning by a 2-1 decision. After no action in the first period Maturino's opponent scored an escape in the second period, leaving the score 1-0 at the end of two periods. Maturino got on the board late with 1:55 left in the third period after an escape making the score 1-1. The match ended tied, but with the 1:37 of riding time, Maturino won 2-1.

After being out of the line-up for several weeks junior Randy Sulaver jumped into action at 165 pounds after Maturino moved down a weight class. Sulaver impressed the crowd letting his opponent get on the board first with a takedown, but then dominated the rest of the match. Sulaver rolled of 11 consecutive points to win the match by a major decision 11-2. The win gives Sulaver his first win in dual competition this season.

“Randy has worked and worked to make himself better,” Spates said. “Tonight he dominated and showed what he has worked for.”

The other Sooner victories came from Sam Hazewinkel in a major decision, 10-2. Mimi Miller also won by a major decision, 11-3. Jeff Ecklof, E.K. Waldhaus and Justin Dyer all won their matches by decisions; 7-4, 7-2 and 3-1 respectively.

Next up for the Sooners is the Bedlam Series presented by the Bank of Oklahoma and Your Oklahoma Ford Dealers against Oklahoma State at 4 p.m. in the Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners will try to pick up their first win in their last 17 meetings against the Cowboys live on KSBI TV-52.

Weight-By-Weight Results
197: Clemens (MSU) Dec. 6-4 David (OU)
HWT: Crump (OU) Fall 2:05 Keenan (MSU)
125: Hazewinkel (OU) Maj. Dec. 10-2 Trombly (MSU)
133: Miller (OU) Maj. Dec. 11-3 Greathouse (MSU)
141: Simmons (MSU) Dec. 3-0 Kidd (OU)
149: Ecklof (OU) Dec. 7-4 L'Amoreaux (MSU)
157: Maturino (OU) Dec. 2-1 Aleksanyan (MSU)
165: Sulaver (OU) Maj. Dec, 11-2 Escobedo (MSU)
174: Waldhaus (OU) Dec. 7-2 Hall (MSU)
184: Dyer (OU) Dec. 3-1 Mesyn (MSU)

University of Oklahoma Athletics

No. 8 Oklahoma Wrestling Defeats Michigan State, 29-6

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