OSU hosts No. 7 Sooners, Falcons
February 10, 2016 | Wrestling
Corvallis, Ore. – The Oregon State wrestling team hopes to extend its late-season string of success this week when it concludes its nonconference schedule with home duals against No. 7 Oklahoma and unranked Air Force.
The Oklahoma match is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, the Air Force match for 5 p.m. Sunday, at Gill Coliseum.
The Beavers (8-6, 2-2 Pac-12) have won 3 of their last 4 duals since falling to Arizona State on Jan. 29 in their Pacific-12 Conference opener. Included in those wins is a 21-13 decision of then-No. 22 Stanford, their fourth win over a ranked opponent this season.
OSU completed its final regular-season road trip last week with a 2-1 record. The loss was a one-pointer at CSU-Bakersfield, when they were without customary 165-pounder Seth Thomas, a 2015 NCAA qualifier and the Pac-12 runner-up.
“I like our effort, even in the match we lost,” coach Jim Zalesky said. “We just made a few technical mistakes here or there. Our guys handled that trip like I thought they should.”
One key takeaway from that trip was the 3-0 record posted by redshirt sophomore 157-pounder Abraham Rodriguez. He won by technical fall, major decision and a decision by shutout to convincingly snap a seven-match losing streak.
“He had some good wins,” Zalesky said. “He's been close, close, and all of a sudden he turned the corner. It's good to get on the winning track and get some confidence, and you feel better about yourself.”
The Oklahoma dual features three matchups of ranked wrestlers.
· At 125, OSU's Ronnie Bresser (# 7 InterMat) faces Ryan Millhof (# 8 InterMat).
· At 133, OSU's Joey Palmer (# 19 The Open Mat) faces Cody Brewer (# 4 InterMat), the defending NCAA champion.
· At heavyweight, OSU's Amarveer Dhesi (# 10 InterMat) could face Ross Larson (# 15 InterMat), one of the two possibilities for the Sooners at that weight.
Oklahoma also features 165-pounder Clark Glass, ranked No. 13 by InterMat.
Both teams have wrestled Rutgers, Northern Colorado, Michigan, Wyoming and West Virginia. The Sooners are 5-0 in those duals; the Beavers are 3-2, with losses to Michigan (27-9) and Rutgers (24-12).
“They are highly-ranked, they've wrestled a good schedule,” Zalesky said of the Sooners. “They have some good guys, and the [weight classes] match up, strength-on-strength.
“We've wrestled a lot of their guys before,” in tournaments and in a 2015 dual the Beavers won 20-17 in Norman. “We have to be ready to go, come out and set the pace.
“It's a good match for this time of the year. We saw three Pac-12 teams last week, now we get to see a couple Big 12 teams. Seeing a couple teams outside the conference before we get Boise State and the Pac-12s” could be a beneficial change-of-pace.
The Falcons (5-5) host Utah Valley and New Mexico Highlands on Thursday before heading to OSU. They have one ranked wrestler, 133-pounder Josh Martinez, No. 18 in The Open Mat's poll.
OSU closes the regular season with the annual Border War against Boise State, set for 11 a.m. Feb. 21 at Gill Coliseum. It will be televised by Pac-12 Networks. The Pac-12 Championships are Feb. 27, at Arizona State.
For more information on the Oregon State wrestling team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OSU_Wrestling or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling.
Oklahoma vs. Oregon State
125: Ryan Millhof (13-6) vs. Ronnie Bresser (23-6)
133: Cody Brewer (15-2)/Sean Williams (0-0) vs. Joey Palmer (21-8)
141: Trae Blackwell (8-8)/Noah Teaney (6-6) vs. Jack Hathaway (11-12)
149: Davion Jeffries (12-7) vs. Joey Delgado (19-9)
157: Shayne Tucker (4-4)/ Brock Wingbermuehle (6-12) vs. Abraham Rodriguez (11-13)
165: Clark Glass (15-9) vs. Seth Thomas (16-7)
174: Matt Reed (14-7) vs. Tyler Chay (9-14)
184: Andrew Dixon (1-4)/Joel Dixon (3-2) vs. Corey Griego (19-9)
197: Brad Johnson (11-11) vs. Cody Crawford (13-13)
Hwt: Ross Larson (14-9)/Michael Brown (4-3) vs. Amarveer Dhesi (21-3)
Air Force vs. Oregon State
125: Drew Romero (11-11) vs. Ronnie Bresser (23-6)
133: Josh Martinez (19-6) vs. Joey Palmer (21-8)
141: Dylan Hyder (3-4) vs. Jack Hathaway (11-12)
149: Jerry McGinty (10-8) vs. Joey Delgado (19-9)
157: Zach Stepan (10-9)/Alex Mossing (4-2) vs. Abraham Rodriguez (11-13)
165: Alex Lopouchanski (16-8) vs. Seth Thomas (16-7)
174: Adam Jackson (11-6) vs. Tyler Chay (9-14)
184: Anthony McLaughlin (11-6)/Willie Baker (4-5) vs. Corey Griego (19-9)
197: Parker Hines (18-9) vs. Cody Crawford (13-13)
Hwt.: Marcus Malecek (11-11) vs. Amarveer Dhesi (21-3)
