Weitzel Advances to Big 12 Finals

March 8, 2008

STILLWATER, Okla. - The second round of the championships pitted one seeds versus the winner of the four/five seeds from the first round, as well as two versus three seeds.

The winners of the matches punched their tickets to the finals at 7 p.m. To move on to the NCAA Championships, wrestlers must finish in the top three of their respective weight classes, or be selected as a wild card voted on by league coaches at the conclusion of the finals.

No. 15 Joey Fio (two seed) battled against No. 16 Tyler Shinn (three seed) of Oklahoma State to start the quarterfinal matches for OU at 125 pounds. After a scoreless first, Shinn recorded an escape after choosing the down position to lead 1-0. The next points would be scored by a Fio escape in the third to tie the match.

Neither wrestler was able to post points after the escape, the match went to overtime. Shinn outlasted the OU true-freshman, taking the match by a 4-2 decision with an escape and a takedown in the 60 second period.

After advancing from the first round, OU's Zack Bailey (four seed and ranked No. 16) took on in-state rival Nathan Morgan (one seed and ranked No. 3) of OSU at 141 pounds. Morgan led 2-1 after the first period and extended his lead to 3-1 after an escape to start the second. Morgan added a takedown in the third after a Bailey escape to win by a 6-2 final.

Fourth seed Will Rowe (No. 17) then attempted to knock off the one seed Jordan Burroughs (No. 7) of Nebraska in the 149 pound matchup. After four takedowns in the first, the Tiger led Rowe, 8-3. Burroughs ultimately proved to be too much for the Sooner, winning by a technical fall, 24-9.

No. 17 Chad Terry (three seed) was the next Sooner to vie for a victory, taking on the two seed from Iowa State, Cyler Sanderson (ranked No. 13). The Cyclone Sanderson advanced to the championship finals after beating the Midwest City, Okla., native by a 10-3 decision.

Winner in the opening round, senior Max Dean of Oklahoma (five seed) aimed to upset one seed Nick Marable (ranked No. 2) of Missouri to get to the finals. After being down 4-1 to begin the second, Dean scored an escape to inch closer, 4-2. Marable managed an escape and Dean was not able to record another point, losing to the Tiger, 5-2.

Senior Joshua Weitzel, ranked sixth in the country and the three seed, looked to be the first Sooner to advance to the championships. No. 5 nationally ranked and two seed Raymond Jordan from Missouri stood in his way in the 184 pound dual. Both top-six wrestlers scored takedowns and escapes in the first for a 3-3 tie.

Weitzel rode Jordan for the entire second period and scored an escape to begin the third to take the lead, 4-3. A takedown in the third extended the lead for the Lincoln University, Pa., native, 6-3. The Sooner senior held on and was awarded a riding time point to end the match, advancing to the Big 12 Championship finals by a 7-3 decision over the second seeded Tiger.

No. 9 Joel Flaggert (two seed) aimed to follow suit of Weitzel by defeating No. 6 Craig Brester (three seed) of Nebraska to advance to the championships. After senior Flaggert led 2-1 to begin the second, Brester scored an escape and a takedown to take a 4-2 lead.

Another escape by the Husker and a second warning against Flaggert made the score 6-2. The Choctaw, Okla., native could not rally, losing 6-2.

The consolation matches begin at 4 p.m., with with all Sooner wrestlers other than Weitzel competing for third place and a trip to the NCAA Championships.

Weitzel will compete for his first career Big 12 Championship title at 7 p.m. Iowa State enters the evening seesion of the championship leading with 48 team points.

125: No. 16 Tyler Shinn (OSU) dec. No. 15 Joey Fio (OU), 4-2
141: No. 3 Nathan Morgan (OSU) dec. No. 16 Zack Bailey (OU), 6-2
149: No. 7 Jordan Burroughs (NU) tech. fall Will Rowe (OU), 24-9
157: No. 13 Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. No. 17 Chad Terry (OU), 10-3
165: No. 2 Nicholas Marable (MU) dec. Max Dean (OU) 5-2
184: No. 6 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. No. 5 Raymond Jordan (MU), 7-3
197: No. 9 Joel Flaggert (OU) No. 8 Craig Brester (NU), 6-2

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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