Wrestling Falls Short in Lincoln

Feb. 10, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. - The No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners (12-5, 0-4 in Big 12) got to within three points, 12-9, after a huge upset at 125 pounds, but was unable to rally on No. 2 Nebraska (12-3, 3-0 in Big 12) in Lincoln on Sunday, losing 21-9.

OU's true-freshman Joey Fio upset No. 4 ranked defending national champion Paul Donahoe of NU at 125 pounds to give the Sooners hope for an upset victory. Oklahoma was unable to capitalize, falling short in the final three bouts.

"I am not displeased with our effort at all today," head coach Jack Spates said. "This dual will be a great building block for us as we near the end of the season."

The dual between the Big 12 foes began at 157 pounds, and Sooner Chad Terry put OU on the board first by defeating No. 16 Chris Oliver, 6-1. No. 20 Terry recorded two takedowns and four points in the final period to take the win.

No. 20 Max Dean then took No. 10 Stephen Dwyer down to the final period at 165 pounds but was unable to get the win, dropping the bout 8-6 and tying the team score at three. J

eff James, coming off his first Big 12 victory of his career on Friday against Missouri, took No. 5 Brandon Browne down until the final seconds at 174 pounds. Browne used a takedown at 19 seconds to gain a 5-4 edge in the match to seal the victory and give the Huskers a 6-3 team lead.

Oklahoma's 184-pounder Joshua Weitzel quickly tied the team score with a win over No. 9 Vince Jones. Weitzel posted three takedowns and only gave up a reversal in the first period to record a 7-2 decision. He is now 2-1 in Big 12 duals on the season and 21-2 overall.

No. 10 Craig Brester regained the lead for NU at 9-6 with a 6-1 decision over 197 pound Joel Flaggert, ranked No. 5. Flaggert took the lead 1-0 by garnering an escape point in the second period after a scoreless first. Brester then took control by scoring six unanswered points, including riding time, to end the bout.

Nebraska extended the team lead to 12-6 when heavyweight Jon May, ranked 20th, bested OU's Nathan Fernandez by a 6-3 decision. Fernandez was only able to score escapes in the loss.

The match then returned back to the light weights, pitting Fio against the defending national champion Donahoe. Fio, also coming off of his first career Big 12 victory Friday versus MU, refused to be intimidated and posted the upset with a 6-5 decision over Donahoe. Fio trailed 4-3 headed into the final period, but scored a takedown and an escape to record his biggest career win as a freshman.

"Fio's win was absolutely huge for us," Spates said. "He works so hard and refused to lose against the defending national champion in Donahoe. We are really proud of his effort this weekend."

No. 13 Brian Shelton at 133 pounds was unable to keep the Sooner rally going, losing to No. 8 Kenny Jordan by an 11-4 final decision. The win gave the Huskers a 15-9 advantage in the match headed into the final two bouts of the afternoon.

Nebraska ended the Big 12 matchup winning the final two, with Mike Rowe defeating No. 15 Zack Bailey by an 11-4 decision and No. 7 Jordan Burroughs topping No. 13 Will Rowe by a 5-3 final.

Oklahoma returns home and will prepare for the first annual "Beauty and the Beast" event at the Lloyd Noble Center on Friday at 7 p.m., versus Cal Poly. The squad will share the floor with the OU women's gymnastics team competing against Iowa State.

The marketing department has announced several promotions for the dual-sport event, including one lucky fan will win 2 round trip tickets to Las Vegas, two tickets to "Le Reve" at the Wynn and a $300 check card.

First 500 fans arriving at the event will receive an event T-shirt and raffle prizes will be awarded throughout the evening. Both teams will also take part in an autograph session at the conclusion of the event.

"This is going to be a fan's delight," head coach Jack Spates said. "We encourage all Sooners to come out and support these two premiere programs in their respective sports."

Tickets are $5 for children and $7 for adults. Admission is free for OU students with a valid student I.D.

Match-by-Match Results

125: Joey Fio (OU) dec. No. 4 Paul Donahoe (NU), 6-5
133: No. 8 Kenny Jordan (NU) dec. No. 13 Brian Shelton (OU), 11-4
141: Mike Rowe (NU) dec. No. 15 Zack Bailey (OU), 7-4
149: No. 7 Jordan Burroughs (NU) dec. No. 13 Will Rowe (OU), 5-3
157: No. 20 Chad Terry (OU) dec. No. 16 Chris Oliver, 6-1
165: No. 10 Stephen Dwyer (NU) dec. No. 20 Max Dean (OU), 8-6
174: No. 5 Brandon Browen (NU) dec. Jeff James (OU), 5-4
184: No. 6 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. No. 9 Vince Jones (NU), 7-2
197: No. 10 Craig Brester (NU) dec. No. 5 Joel Flaggert (OU), 6-1
HWT: No. 20 Jon May (NU) dec. Nathan Fernandez (OU), 6-3

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