Sooner Wrestlers Travel to Arizona

NORMAN, Okla., -- The No. 8/13 Oklahoma wrestling team (8-4, 0-2 Big 12) travels to Tempe, Ariz., for a Showdown with the Arizona State Sun Devils (6-10, 3-2 Pac-10) Friday at 7 p.m. Mountain, at Wells Fargo Arena

“This is going to be a very tough match up with the Sun Devils and we need to come in prepared and ready to wrestle,” head coach Jack Spates said.

The premiere match of the evening pits No. 12 Will Rowe and No. 5 Brian Stith of Arizona State. Rowe, a sophomore from Arlington, Texas, is currently 15-2 on the season. Stith, a senior from Hampton, Va., is 19-2.

Last season OU defeated Arizona State in Norman, 29-13 as the Sooners won six of the 10 matches. Oklahoma is 7-2-1 in its last 10 matches with ASU and Jack Spates is 9-3-1 all-time versus the Sun Devils. OU is 21-13-1 all-time versus Arizona State.

“We look forward to the challenge Friday night as we continue to prepare for Sunday's dual with Missouri,” Spates continued.

The Sooners are still without two starters as Sam Hazewinkel (125-pounds) and Joe Comparin (133-pounds) recover from injuries. OU does welcome back 141-pound redshirt-freshman Kyle Terry (11-7) who has been out due to an injury since the National Duals.

The Sooners are home again Sunday, Feb. 4, when they play host to the No. 2/2 Missouri Tigers at 3 p.m., inside the Howard McCasland Field House. At halftime of the Missouri match, the Sooner wrestling program will present former Sooner great Danny Hodge with a special gift. As well prior to the dual, two local youth wrestling clubs will wrestle each other.

Hodge, a native of Perry, Okla., was a three-time national champion at Oklahoma and was twice named the outstanding wrestler of the NCAA Championships. While wrestling for the Sooners Hodge pinned 36 of his 46 opponents. A three-time All-American and three-time Big Seven Champion at 177-pounds, Hodge was also a Silver Medalist at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Any student attending the last three home matches will need to sign in as they enter the field house to be entered in a drawing to win $1,500. Second place will receive $500. Students are admitted free with a valid student ID.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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