Three OU Wrestlers Advance at NCAA

March 20, 2009

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Competing to advance to the semifinals and guarantee All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA Championships, Joey Fio and Kyle Terry faced top opponents Friday morning in the quarterfinals.

Fio (seven seed) faced No. 2 Troy Nickerson of Cornell at 125 pounds. In 14 seconds the Cornell wrestler posted a pin against Fio, marking just the second time in the Sandpoint, Idaho, native's career at OU he has surrendered a fall. The loss snapped a 16-match winning streak for Fio, who falls wrestleback bracket to compete Friday evening.

Top seed and undefeated Brent Metcalf of No. 1 Iowa was Terry's foe in the 149-pound quarters. With Terry's 28-match win streak on the line, Metcalf struck with three takedowns in the opening period to lead 6-3. Two additional takedowns in the second stanza and another in the third gave Metcalf a 14-6 win after riding time. It marked just the second loss this season for Terry (30-2). The Midwest City, Okla., native will compete in the wrestleback bracket later this evening.

Both Fio and Terry need one victory in session four Friday evening to earn All-America honors.

WRESTLEBACK BRACKET
No. 17 Chad Terry was the first Sooner to kick off wrestleback competition in session three Friday morning, taking on No. 11 Chase Pami of Cal Poly. Attempting to avoid elimination, Terry scored the match's first point with an escape in the second period, but a Pami escape and Terry penalty point in the final stanza gave the Mustang a 2-1 decision. Terry ends his season 17-9 overall, 1-2 at the 2009 NCAA's.

Sooner Jeff James was next eliminated in 174-pound wrestleback action, dropping his match to Luke Rebertus of Navy, 7-5. After scoring the opening takedown within the first three seconds of the match, James gave up a three-point nearfall and a takedown to end the match. The El Reno, Okla., native finished his 2008-09 campaign with a 23-8 overall record.

No. 19 Pat Flynn then fell to No. 5 Dustin Kilgore at 184 pounds, ending the redshirt sophomore's season with a 26-8 overall record. Flynn trailed 4-1 after two Kilgore takedowns in the first, but tied the match at four with a nearfall to begin the final period. Kilgore struck back with a reversal and a takedown to win, 9-5.

Eric Lapotsky stopped the bleeding for Oklahoma, advancing in the wrestleback bracket by dominating his match over James Hamel of Buffalo. The junior from Mt. Carmel, Pa., led 10-0 in the match before recording his 11th fall this season in a time of 4:42.

In his next match, Lapotsky kept the ball rolling with a 6-2 decision over Eric Chine of Kent State. Lapotsky led 4-0 with an escape in the third and accumulated 1:57 of riding time to win. The junior advances to Friday evening's session where he will be one victory away from becoming an All-American.

Nathan Fernandez rounded out second round wrestleback competition for the Sooners, dropping 8-4 to Dominick Russo to end the redshirt sophomore's season.

Fernandez gave up two takedowns and a three-point nearfall in the loss, ending his season with an overall record of 21-12.

The remaining three Sooners will compete in session four beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

SESSION III RESULTS

125: No. 2 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) fall No. 7 Joey Fio (OU), 0:14
149: No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 5 Kyle Terry (OU), 14-6
157: No. 11 Chase Pami (Cal Poly) dec. No. 17 Chad Terry (OU), 2-1
174: Luke Rebertus (Navy) dec. No. 12 Jeff James (OU), 7-5
184: No. 19 Pat Flynn (OU) No. 5 Dustin Kilgore (Kent St.), 9-5
197: No. 11 Eric Lapotsky (OU) fall James Hamel (Buffalo), 4:42
197: No. 11 Eric Lapotsky (OU) dec. Eric Chine (Kent State), 6-2
HWT: Dominick Russo (Rutgers) dec. No. 18 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 8-4
*Above are Intermat rankings