From the Daily O’Collegian student paper
Cowboy wrestling cruises past No. 9 Iowa, 26-12
By Greg Dickinson Daily O’Collegian
Stillwater, OK (U-WIRE) — For a while, it looked like the Oklahoma State and Iowa wrestling match was going to come down to the heavyweights.
“If it did we would have won, but it didn’t, “said OSU coach John Smith when asked about the possibility of OSU’s new heavyweight Steve Mocco having to win the match.
The Cowboys beat the Hawkeyes 26-12 in front of 7,821 fans inside Gallagher-Iba, but the match was much closer than the score indicates.
After freshman Colman Scott lost to Iowa’s Charlie Falck at 125 pounds – a match that was decided when Falck scored a takedown and two nearfall points in the last 17 seconds of the match.
OSU won the next three matches, but other than freshman Nathan Morgan’s major decision at 133 pounds, nothing was easy for the Cowboys.
“There were some tough matches out there, but in those tough matches you need to find a way to win, and in two or three of them, we did that like they did really at 25, “Smith said. “It came down to the third period, and we won some of those battles and that’s important. “
Senior Ronnie Delk used a takedown with eight seconds left in the match to beat Iowa’s No. 7 ranked Alex Tsirtsis 3-2.
“We’ve had our talks about what we are doing at this weight, and it’s the first time in a long time that Ronnie’s beat somebody that he wasn’t supposed to beat, “Smith said. “You’ve got to break through and that’s a break through for Ronnie, and it ought to be very motivating to him and move forward from here that those things can happen when you wrestle hard.”
Zack Esposito, OSU’s No. 1 ranked wrestler at 149, was pushed to overtime by No. 6 ranked Ty Eustice. After no one got a takedown in the first period of overtime, the match went to two 30-second periods and Esposito was able to escape and ride Eustice out to win the match 2-1.
“He struggled through to get to his offense and finding a way to win is important, “Smith said when asked about Esposito’s close match. “When you wrestle 30 something matches in a year, don’t kid yourself, you are going to get into some battles. He found himself in one and it’s real important that he found a way to win.”
Iowa got back on the board when No. 8 ranked Joe Johnston pinned Cowboy Kevin Ward in 6:57 of the seven minute match.
The best match of the day came at 165 where OSU sophomore No. 3 ranked Johny Hendricks took on Iowa’s No. 4 ranked Mark Perry. Perry is Smith’s nephew and his father wrestled at OSU. Hendricks won a hard fought match 3-1.
The Cowboys would then sandwich a Chris Pendleton fall at 174, and a Jake Rosholt technical fall at 197 around an Iowa win at 184 to put the match away and take the suspense out of Mocco’s match at heavyweight.
The No. 1 ranked Mocco won the match 4-0 over Iowa’s Matt Fields but OSU would lose a team point when Mocco was too aggressive after the final whistle.
‘I think he knew I didn’t hear the whistle and I think the ref knew I didn’t hear the whistle, “said Mocco when asked about what happened after the match. “I think it looked worse than it was.”
After the match, Smith was pleased with the performance but said the Cowboys need to wrestle better when they go to the National Duals in Cleveland Saturday and Sunday.
“I think it was a good match, “Smith said. “I don’t think by any means we are wrestling at our best right now and Iowa had a little bit to do with that. “
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