Sooners Place Nine, Finish Tied for Second at Southern Scuffle

Saturday, January 4

Chattanooga, Tenn. | McKenzie Arena

All Day

University of Oklahoma

Southern Scuffle

Sooners Place Nine, Finish Tied for Second at Southern Scuffle

January 05, 2025 | Wrestling

Results

By: OU Athletics Communications

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The No. 21 Oklahoma wrestling team finished with nine placers at the Southern Scuffle on Sunday, led by Gaven Sax, who finished runner-up in the 174-pound bracket.

OU finished in a tie for second overall, finishing with 126.5 points along with Penn State. The Sooners finished behind only team champion Army (132.5). North Carolina (91) and North Dakota State (90.5) rounded out the top five.

Sunday marked the Sooners' second consecutive runner-up team finish at the Southern Scuffle, following their first ever trip to the prestigious tournament in 2024 where they came away with two champions and 13 total place winners, the most out of any team in the field.

In the 174-pound semifinals, No. 8 Sax defeated No. 27 Dalton Harkins of Army by major decision, 10-1, to clinch his spot in the championship bout. Meeting Chattanooga's 33rd-ranked Sergio DeSiante in the title match, Sax fell behind after a first-period takedown and was unable to land a shot despite racking up a pair of escape points, dropping the title match 3-2 and finishing runner-up.

Competing in his fourth career Southern Scuffle and first as a Sooner, Sax earned his highest career finish in the 22nd edition of the event. The senior wrestled to fourth place (2022) and third place (2024) podium finishes as a member of North Dakota State.

Willie McDougald (149), Tate Picklo (165) and DJ Parker (184) all rallied from semifinal losses on Sunday to take third in their respective brackets. Antonio Lorenzo (125) contributed with a fourth-place result, while Beric Jordan (125), Cleveland Belton (133) and Bradley Hill (197) added seventh-place finishes. Mannix Morgan (165) rounded out the Sooners on the podium in eighth place.

Full tournament results of the Southern Scuffle presented by Compound Sportswear can be found here.

Looking ahead, the Sooners will take a week off before returning to Norman for a Big 12 clash against No. 22 West Virginia on Jan. 17. The first bout from McCasland Field House is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT.