Big 12 Championship Results
NORMAN -- Winning the Big 12 wrestling championship was no small consolation to the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday night.
OU used an excellent consolation round to break a team tie with Oklahoma State, then won the Big 12 mat title by crowning three individual champions before 3,367 in the Lloyd Noble Center.
The sixth-ranked Sooners scored 87 points to win their second Big 12 title, first since 1999. Fourth- ranked OSU, which has won the four other Big 12 meets, finished second with 73 points and three champions. Iowa State finished third with 63.5 points and three champs. Nebraska had one champ and 32.5 points, and Missouri had 26.5 points to continue its string of always finishing last in the Big 12 meet.
OU's conference championship came after OSU had swept the Big 12 Bedlam Sooners in two dual meets this season.
"Let me say this as an aside first of all," said OU coach Jack Spates. "You've never heard me give anything but credit to Oklahoma State and their great program, but in light of our very disappointing Bedlam performances I will say this: There are two teams in Oklahoma, and we're very proud of our kids, very proud of their effort."
Going into the consolation round Saturday afternoon, OU and OSU were tied with 57.5 points each, 24 points ahead of third-place Iowa State. But while OU won all four of its consolation finals, OSU lost all three of its consy finals (but to win a challenge match). As a result, OU led OSU 78-64, almost clinching the team title before the championship bouts.
OU's Big 12 champions are: Jared Frayer at 149, Josh Lambrecht at 184, and heavyweight Leonce Crump.
OSU's Big 12 champions are: Skyler Holman at 125, Johnny Thompson at 133 and Ty Wilcox at 174.
Seniors Cael Sanderson of ISU and Bryan Snyder of NU were crowned Big 12 champs for the fourth time.
In the 157 final, top-ranked Snyder improved to 29-0 this year by beating OSU's second- seeded Shane Roller 6-2.
ISU senior Joe Heskett won his third Big 12 title, beating OSU's second-seeded Tyrone Lewis 3-1 in the 165 final. Heskett's only loss in 35 bouts has been to Lewis.
Five championship bouts were Bedlam showdowns:
At 125, OSU's top-seeded Holman beat OU's third-seeded Matt Ridings 6-1; they split two regular season decisions.
At 133, OSU's top-seeded Thompson beat OU's second- seeded Witt Durden 4-0 with a third-period takedown and 2:40 riding time. Thompson has won 23 consecutive bouts and is 6-0 lifetime vs. Durden.
At 174, OSU's Wilcox went from fifth (last) seed to Big 12 champ, beating OU's third- seeded Michael Barger 4-2 in two overtimes. Wilcox was the only pigtail wrestler to reach the finals.
At 184, OU's top-seeded Lambrecht beat OSU's third-seeded Pat Popolizio 4-0.
And at heavyweight, OU's top-seeded Leonce Crump beat OSU's third-seeded James Huml by one point (3-2) for the fifth straight time.
OU's top-seeded Frayer beat ISU's second-seeded Billy Maldonado 10-5 for the 149 title. In the 141 final, ISU's second- seeded Aaron Holker pinned MU's top-seeded J.P. Reese.