Top two grapplers in nation at 141 pounds battled for the seventh time Saturday at the Field House.
by Robert Przybylo
Though built as a team matchup, the wrestling world had its eyes on only one match when Iowa State defeated OU, 19-16, Saturday at the Field House.
At 141 pounds, the reigning Big 12 champion, ISU senior Nate Gallick went up against the reigning national champ at 141, OU senior Teyon Ware. Gallick won 4-3.
While the teams came in respectively rankd at eight and nine, these were the top two at 141. Coming into the match, Ware was ranked number one with Gallick at number two.
The crowd was the largest the Sooners have had for a home dual this season. As the two combatants were announced, the calm audience exploded into cheers and never let up for the rest of the match.
Ware came out strong in the first period scoring a takedown of Gallick within the first minute of the match. Gallick was able to escape and the period came to a close at 2-1 Ware.
“I came out ready to battle,” Ware said. “I struck first, tried to score again but didn’t.”
With the score 3-1 in the closing seconds of the second period, Gallick tied it up with a takedown of his own.
“Any time you can get a takedown and not give up an escape afterwards, it really helps a lot,” Gallick said. “He put himself in a bad position, and I countered it.”
Ware said he lost his concentration for a second.
“Time was a little on his side,” Ware said. “If I would have had 10 or 15 more seconds left, I would have made the escape.”
At the end of the second period, both benches were fired up. Referee Jim Ramirez issued both the OU and ISU benches warnings as the spirited rivalry spilled over from the competitors to the coaches.
Gallick took his first lead of the contest with an escape at the beginning of the third period. The hometown crowd was chanting “Teyon, Teyon” throughout the last minute of the match, but it had no effect.
“I was hesitant,” Ware said about his third period performance. “I didn’t want to fall behind more. I wasn’t setting it up like I did in the first period.”
Both coaches had nothing but high praise for their opponent’s wrestler.
“Nate’s accomplishments are known world wide,” OU head coach Jack Spates said. “He does a good job of keeping Teyon off balance.”
“Teyon’s a tremendous wrestler,” ISU head coach Bobby Douglas said. “It was just a great match. A match for the ages.”
This is the second year in a row Gallick has given Ware his first loss of the season.
“It was a battle,” Ware said. “Nobody was stalling. I felt good, that’s why I’m so disappointed.”
Gallick will now be the top man at 141 as his record improves to 24-0.
“I never come into a match expecting to lose,” Gallick said. “This is my seventh match against him, and I’ve won six. Every match is close. He pushes me harder than anybody in the country.”
Ware’s loss put OU at a disadvantage as the Cyclones took control of the contest from that point forward giving OU its first home loss this season.
“That was a key match,” Ware said. “My team needed that match. I just have to feed off of this and move on.”
Ware and the rest of the Sooners will get their chance to bounce back when they battle Arizona State on Friday night at the Field House at 7 p.m.
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