January 7, 2001
NO. 1 MINNESOTA WRESTLERS FALL TO NO. 2 OKLAHOMA STATE 25-12
By Kevin Kurtt, U of MN SID
The top-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team met its match in No. 2 Oklahoma State today, losing 25-12 in front of 9,566 rowdy Maroon and Gold fans at Williams Arena. Minnesota (5-1), competing shorthanded with 197-pound Owen Elzen injured and heavyweight Garrett Lowney ineligible, mustered only 12 points, its lowest team total since a 26-10 loss to the Cowboys during the 1996-97 season.
The meet started at 141 pounds with No. 10 Chad Erikson defeating Johnny Thompson by a 13-7 decision. Erikson took the lead at 1:27 of the first period and never looked back, winning the opening match with 2:37 advantage time. At 149 pounds, OSU1s No. 2 Reggie Wright ended No. 3 Jared Lawrence's 16-match win streak with a 9-6 decision in one of the featured matches of the day. With the match tied at six late in the third period, Wright scored a takedown at 1:58 to seal the victory.
At 157 pounds, No. 5 Luke Becker posted a 7-4 decision win over No. 15 Shane Roller. Becker used a takedown and a two-point near-fall in the third period to claim his 17th win of the season. No. 3 Brad Pike picked up another three team points for the Golden Gophers in the 165-pound match, defeating No. 7 Ty Wilcox 4-3. With the win, the Brownsdale, Minn., native moved his overall record to 17-2.
At 174 pounds, No. 15 Matt Kraft fell to No. 11 Tyrone Lewis by a 9-4 decision. Lewis, up 7-2 after the second period, led the entire match. In another featured match, No. 4 Dan Cormier posted a 19-7 major decision on No. 3 Damion Hahn to give the Cowboys four team points and the lead for good at 10-9. Cormier scored seven takedowns and a three-point near-fall to roll to victory.
The Golden Gophers continued their slide in the 197-pound match as OSU's No. 2 Mark Munoz pinned true freshman Eli Ross in 5:30. Ross, filling in for the injured Elzen, was competing in his first dual meet for Minnesota. At heavyweight, the Cowboys' James Huml pinned Mike Flanagan at 2:24 to seal Oklahoma State's team victory in the dual meet.
Oklahoma State posted a major upset in the 125-pound match as No. 17 Matt Brown defeated No. 3 Leroy Vega 4-3. Vega led 3-1 after two periods but Brown scored an escape and a takedown in the third to defeat the two-time All-American. No. 4 Brett Lawrence closed the meet with a rousing victory at 133 pounds over No. 3 Charles Walker. Lawrence, trailing the majority of the match, scored an escape and a takedown in the final 17 seconds to notch his 14th triumph of the season.
The Golden Gophers next face No. 9 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., on Thursday, Jan. 11, and No. 13 Boise State in Boise, Idaho, on Friday, January 12.