STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State’s top-ranked wrestling team extended its dual winning streak to 22 straight with a convincing 31-6 victory over 10th-ranked Lehigh in front of 2,577 fans inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Johny Hendricks got the loudest cheer of the night with a third period takedown to defeat top-ranked Troy Letters at 165, and the rest of the Cowboy lineup had a strong showing as well.
The dual started at 125 with Coleman Scott and Matt Fisk. Scott scored early and controlled Fisk from the beginning. The Cowboys took off after Scott’s 6-2 decision. Morgan got up on Jeff Santo early and relaxed his way into a 7-6 decision.
Third-ranked Cory Cooperman struck first for the Mountain Hawks over OSU’s Daniel Frishkorn. The two wrestlers were involved in a lot of scrambles and Cooperman always found control. Frishkorn’s only point of the match was an escape with five seconds left and Cooperman came away with a 5-1 decision.
Zack Esposito brought the crowd to its feet with a first period pin over Trevor Chinn at 149. Nobody wanted to sit down after that as the Cowboys followed with three more thrilling victories. No. 12 Kevin Ward battled eighth-ranked Derek Zinck into the third period. Ward recorded the only takedown of the match with 54 seconds left and came away with a 3-2 decision.
The highly anticipated matchup of Hendricks and Letters materialized into the classic that everybody expected. Letters scored the first points of the match with a reversal, but it was tied after a Hendricks escape and a penalty by Letters. Hendricks escaped to start the third period to go up 3-2. With 24 seconds remaining in the match, Hendricks scored the only takedown to pull out the 5-2 victory. Two of Letters five career losses have come inside Gallagher-Iba Arena to Tyrone Lewis and now Hendricks.
“I never thought Johny was threatened in that match, “head coach John Smith said. “It was a good effort by Johny. I think he was fired up after losing his last match here in the All-Star Classic.”
Brandon Mason took the mat still riding the excitement of Hendricks victory and took down sixth-ranked Travis Frick. Frick made the mistake of choosing down in the second period, and Mason turned him twice for a two-point near fall and a three-point near fall to go up 7-1. Mason rode out the second period and after an escape in the third and a riding time advantage, Mason came away with a 9-1 major decision over the sixth-ranked wrestler in the country. Mason put OSU ahead 22-3 to seal the dual for the Cowboys with three matches left.
“I also liked Brandon’s match, “Smith said. “It was good to see him get that first takedown, and Mason rode him hard in the second period. It is something you got to earn and Brandon earned it tonight.”
David Helfrich got Lehigh back on the scoreboard with a decision over Rusty Blackmon at 184. The Cowboys then closed out the dual with victories at 197 and heavyweight. Top-ranked Jake Rosholt had a sluggish outing being taken down twice by Paul Weibel, but his escape with 1:28 left was enough for an 8-7 decision.
Steve Mocco closed the dual in dominating fashion. Mocco recorded six takedowns in the first period and five more in the second period to go up 23-9. Mocco began looking for a near fall count to finish with a technical fall and did one better as he pinned Lehigh heavyweight Tom C url in 4:22.
Oklahoma State returns to the mat next Friday for the first of two Bedlam duals when second-ranked Oklahoma comes to Gallagher-Iba Arena to battle the top-ranked Cowboys Dec. 9 at 7 p.m.
Wrestling Gear
