Oklahoma State vs University of Oklahoma

[RepublicHS]

I took our team down to watch Oklahoma State vs University of Oklahoma dual this past Friday and it was a great show and we watched a lot of great matches. I wanted to let everyone know that many of both teams stopped and signed autographs for my wrestlers and were very inspirational when they talked to them. Thanks Cowboys and Sooners and maybe we can go back next year. Here is a link to some pictures of the meet http://www.okstate.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?SPSID=1551&SPID=149&DB_OEM_ID=200&PALBID=2763 and here is a picture with some of the team with Cowboy heavyweight Steve Mocco
http://www.missourirunning.com/wrestling/moco.jpg

Bud Donnell
Republic High School

[MG_Grievous]

The first thing that popped into my head after reading this thread's title was:

"Someone's complaining that the names of these schools are too much alike."


That's very classy of both teams to take time out to sign autographs for your kids. I'm sure it will leave a lasting impression.

[D Johnson]

I'll bet you couldn't get too many D-1 basketball teams to stop and take a picture with your team. Especially not the defending national champions.

[RepublicHS]

I do remember a few years ago when the Mizzou basketball team was walking through where the wrestlers were warming up for State and Kareem Rush was walking through and he wished everyone good luck while every other player just kept on walking not even making eye contact. I thought that was great about Rush.

[fowler]

Last year at state we went to the dual,,,TWood, Askren, and Coach Smith came over and signed my daughters poster for her.

[repmo]

I was at the duel with my team and my coaches and it was the best wrestling I have ever seen. Also, getting to meet national champions and all-americans was pretty cool to.

[Wrestling Doc]

The following is a post by Old Wrestling Fan on another wrestling discussion board. I enjoyed reading it. For those who love comeback stories, here is one for the road. I have not altered this post in any manner.

Wrestling Doc


The score doesn't reflect the how close this dual really was.

OSU was down 12-11 when Rusty Blackmon beat OU's Justin Dyer.
STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith says that the Bedlam dual is about making memories.

Cowboys senior Rusty Blackmon made his Friday night.

Blackmon has been among four wrestlers battling in the OSU wrestling room daily to start at the 184-pound weight class. While neither Blackmon nor Smith would say the spot has been shored up, the senior wrestler gave his coach a reason Friday to keep him under consideration.

Blackmon's late 6-3 comeback victory over Oklahoma's Justin Dyer swung the momentum of the match in OSU's favor and helped propel the top-ranked Cowboys to a 23-12 dual win over the No. 3 Sooners before 7,988 fans at Gallagher-Iba Are na.

"It was a good effort by Rusty," Smith said. "The first big match he's probably been in for nearly a year and a half."

And if it wasn't for a gut decision by Smith at the dual's halfway point Friday night, Blackmon easily could have been a spectator on the sidelines.

Smith has allowed his candidates -- Blackmon, sophomores Clay Kehrer, Brent Parkey and Jack Jensen -- at 184 pounds to compete against each other to solidify

the position. No one has emerged yet, and Smith entered the Bedlam dual undecided be tween Blackmon and Kehrer.

Moments before the dual resumed at the 165-pound bout following a 10-minute intermission, Smith told Blackmon he was competing.

The senior, who was pinned by Dyer two weeks ago at the Oklahoma Open, was on the spot as he took the mat. Bolstered by expected wins from All-Americans Sam Hazewinkel and Teyon Ware and an upset victory by freshman 157-pounder Will Rowe, OU led 12-11 entering the final three bouts.

It appeared the Sooners were poised to increase the match lead as Dyer held a 3-1 advantage and was poised to get a bonus point for a minute-plus riding time advantage entering the final half minute.

Then, Blackmon's moment arrived.

He scored a two-point takedown with 20 seconds left to even the match at 3-all, and recorded a three-point near fall with under five seconds to win.

"During the last 20 seconds, there wasn't much thought going on. I was just wrestling and not thinking so much," Blackmon said.

"Right until Justin Dyer got taken down to his back late, we were in position to win the dual. We had a shot," OU coach Jack Spates said. "Justin was doing a good job of stuttering and controlling tie-ups. That's all he needed to do there at the end, and he wouldn't have gotten scored on."

Blackmon's win gave OSU the lead at 14-12, and defending national champs Jake Rosholt and Steve Mocco capped the Cowboys victory. Rosholt edged Joel Flaggert 3-1 at 197 and Mocco pinned Jake Hager at 3:41 at heavyweight.

As soon as the final horn sounded to culminate his match, Blackmon admitted to doing something uncharacteristic. He celebrated by raising both of his arms in the air to the orange-clad OSU fans.

"That stuff doesn't go on too much for the people I've wrestled for," Blackmon said. "I got excited because he's a tough wrestler, strong and solid. He wrestles good matches all the time, and he's hard to score points on."

Blackmon would not cam paign or boast that he should be the permanent starter at 184. The competition is just as fierce amongst his teammates at the weight as it is from opponents.

He repeatedly said after Friday's match that maintaining an even-keeled approach is his best asset for the moment.

"You can't get too high," Blackmon said. "Anytime I feel too big, I can always wrestle Jake (Rosholt) or somebody like that, and they'll put me back to my level for practice."

Despite Blackmon's triumph, Smith has not decided to change his position regarding the 184 position yet.

"All of them there, it's not due to a lack of effort by any means or a lack of training. It's a matter of learning to get your hand raised," Smith said. "They're all working very hard to get that hand raised right now.

"It was a good win by Rusty, and like he said, he's got to stay even keeled and move forward from it."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------OKLAHOMA ST. 23, OKLAHOMA 12
125: Hazewinkel (OU) dec. Scott 6-4.
133: Morgan (OSU) m.d. Anderson 16-5.
141: Ware (OU) dec. Frishkorn 4-3.
149: Esposito (OSU) m.d. Storniolo 12-4.
157: Rowe (OU) dec. Ward 7-5 (OT).
165: Hendricks (OSU) dec. King 5-0.
174: Roberts (OU) dec. Mason 5-3.
184: Blackmon (OSU) dec. Dyer 6-3.
197: Rosholt (OSU) dec. Flaggert 3-1.
Hvy: Mocco (OSU) p. Hager 3:41.