Sooners Eye National Championship

NORMAN, Okla. - The No. 12/13 Oklahoma wrestling team (11-7, 0-5 Big 12) begins its search for a NCAA title in the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday, March 15. The Sooners qualified six wrestlers for the three day competition. Seniors Sam Hazewinkel, Matt Storniolo and Joel Flaggert, junior Joshua Weitzel, sophomore Will Rowe and Redshirt Freshman Kyle Terry all earned spots after their performances at the Big 12 Championships.

ESPN and ESPNU will be broadcasting the championships. ESPN will broadcast the finals on March 17 (7:30 p.m.) and ESPNU will broadcast the semifinals on March 16 (7 p.m.) and quarterfinals on March 16 (11a.m.). ESPN360 will also coverage the action on www.espn360.com

In their last outing, the Sooners finished in fifth at the Big 12 Championships in Columbia, Mo., on March 3. OU finished with a team score 44 with Iowa State taking the title with a team score of 66.5.

Oklahoma qualified two wrestlers for the finals and Sam Hazewinkel (125 pounds) and Matt Storniolo (149 pounds) both won individual titles. Kyle Terry (141 pounds) and Joel Flaggert (197 pounds) each took third place honors.
Will Rowe (157 pounds) and Joshua Weitzel (174 pounds) each earned a wild card spot out of a possible eight.

Last season the Sooners finished third at the NCAA Championships while crowning five All-Americans. Teyon Ware finished as the national runner-up at 141 pounds.

Oklahoma finished in third place last season for the fourth time in the last five years.

Setting the Scene
Date: Thursday-Saturday, March 15-17, 2007
What: 2007 NCAA Championship
Location: Auburn Hills, Mich.
Venue: Palace of Auburn Hills
TV: ESPN and ESPNU
Web: www.espn360.com

NCAA Tidbits
* The Sooners have produced 256 All-Americans since Marvin Leach was the first OU wreslter to garner All-America status in 1928.
* Oklahoma has produced 67 multiple All-Americn winners. Three of whom are still associated with the program. Assisitant coach Robbie Waller was a two-time All-American from 2002-03. Current Sooner Sam Hazewinkel is a three-time All-American from 2004-06 and Joel Flaggert is a two-time All-American from 2004-06
* OU will be returning three All-Americans to the championships this week. Sam Hazewinkel, Matt Storniolo and Joel Flaggert all garnered the honor last year.
* The Oklahoma Sooners have produced 65 NCAA Champions since 1929. Lawrence Mantooth was the first Sooner to be crowned as a NCAA Champion and the first two-time champion.
* The Sooners have also produced seven NCAA team titles.

Big 12 Leftovers
* Oklahoma finished in fifth place with 44 points at the Big 12 Championships. Iowa State captured the team title with a score of 66.5.
* OU placed two wrestlers in the finals and crowned two champion.
* The Sooners qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships.
* Of the six qualifiers Will Rowe and Joshua Weitzel were the only Sooner not to place as he drew on of the eight qualifiers
eam notes:

Team Notes
* The Sooners faced 11 ranked opponents this season and finished the year 4-7 versus those opponents.
* In the 11 matches versus the ranked opponents OU scored an average of 14.91 points while allowing an average of 18.1 points.
* In Big 12 duals, Oklahoma has only scored an average of 11.8 points per dual, while allowing an average of 23.6 points. OU lost all five Big 12 duals they wrestled and lost each dual by an average of 11.8 points.
* With its win over Hofstra Oklahoma recorded its 12th straight 10- win season in 2006-07. Jack Spates has had 12 10 win seasons in his career and has recorded 12 consecutively. His best streak of 10 win seasons is 12 from 1996-2007. OU finished the regular season with a record of 11-7.
* OU has shutout three opponents this season (Missouri Valley, Oklahoma City University, Marion Military Institute and Utah Valley State). Four of Oklahomas' 11 wins have been by 40 or more points. Six wins have been by 20 or more points.

Back-to-Back Champion
Senior Sam Hazewinkel won his thrid 125-pound Big 12 title March 3 in Columbia, Mo.

Hazewinkel, No. 1 at 125-pounds, defeated Paul Donahoe of Nebraska by a major decision of 12-3 in the finals.

The Pensacola, Fla., native won his first Big 12 title as a freshman and has now won back-to-back titles as a junior and senior. Hazewinkel will also try to shed his third place finish the past three seasons at the NCAA's. Hazewinkel is 21-0 on the year.

Senior Making One Last Trip
Senior Matt Storniolo will be making his last appearence in a Sooner uniform this weekend in Detroit.

The State College, Pa., native has compiled a 75-13 record in an OU uniform since transferring from Penn State prior to the 2004-05 season.

Storniolo earned his first 149 pound Big 12 Championship last weekend after finishing in second place the previous two seasons. Sto

Freshman Debut
Redshirt Freshman Kyle terry captured the third place medal at the Big 12 Championships March 3, earning hin his first trip to the NCAA Championships.

The 141 pound Midwest City, Okla., native finished with an overall record of 17-10.

Wild Card Weekend
Will Rowe and Joshua Weitzel who did not place at the Big 12 Championships March 3, drew two of the eight wild cards to earn a trip to the championships this weekend.

Rowe who hails from Arlington, Texas, qualified for the NCAA Championships last season but did not place. Rowe won third place at 157-pounds at last season's Big 12 Championships.

Weitzel the 174 pound Lincoln University, Pa., native is making his second trip to the NCAA Championships. The junior qualified for the championships as a sophomore as a member of the Michigan Wolverines. He posted an 0-2 mark.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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