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    Oklahoma sends seniors out in style

    NORMAN, Okla. -- The ninth-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling squad (16-2-1, 2-1-1 Big 12) wrapped up its home slate Sunday afternoon by toppling No. 15 Oregon State, 25-6, inside the Howard McCasland Field House in Norman.

    Honoring four seniors -- Eric Lapotsky, Chad Terry, Kyle Terry and Shane Vernon -- on Senior Night, the Sooners earned their sixth win over a top-20 team this season. The win over the Beavers (18-3) also marked the second straight season Oklahoma has posted 16 dual wins.

    “This was a big win against a very tough team,” head coach Jack Spates said. “We won tough matches at the end and that is the kind of effort we want. It was a great way to send out four very special seniors.”

    Freshman Jarrod Patterson, ranked 18th nationally, gave Oklahoma a 3-0 team lead by posting an 8-1 upset win over 15th-ranked Jason Lara at 125 pounds. The Cushing, Okla., product scored three takedowns and racked up two minutes 48 seconds of riding time in the victory.

    Oregon State’s 16th-ranked Kelly Kubec tied the team score, 3-3, with a 5-3 sudden victory decision over 141-pound Kendric Maple (29-8). Trailing 3-1 in the third period, Kubec posted a takedown with 16 seconds remaining to force overtime and scored a takedown in the sudden victory period to win.

    Sudden victory was forced for the second straight match between No. 3 Zack Bailey (22-5) and Beaver Mike Mangrum. Tied 1-1 after three periods, Bailey scored a takedown with 16 seconds remaining to earn the sudden victory win and give OU a 6-3 team advantage. The victory marked Bailey’s 12th-straight this season dating back to Jan. 8.

    No overtime was needed at 149 pounds for third-ranked Kyle Terry, as the Midwest City, Okla., native overpowered No. 17 RJ Pena, 15-3, to claim his 14th-straight victory of the season. Terry led 5-0 after two periods before posting three takedowns and a three-point nearfall to improve to 23-2 on the season. The senior also extended this dual winning streak to 33-straight (15-0 this season) dating back to last season.

    At 157 pounds, senior Chad Terry (8-2) used two minutes 33 seconds of riding time to post a 5-4 decision over No. 13 Keegan Davis of OSU. With the match tied a four, Terry’s riding time proved to be the difference, extending OU’s team lead to 13-3.

    Sooner Tyler Caldwell (26-10), ranked 15th nationally, faced a 4-1 deficit after the first period against Dan Brascetta at 165 pounds. The Sooner quickly recovered by posting an escape, takedown and nearfall in the second to lead, 6-4. The Beaver only managed an escape in the final period, and Caldwell used one minute 42 seconds of riding time to win, 7-5.

    Ninth-ranked Beaver Colby Covington then controlled the 174-pound match against 15th-ranked Sooner Jeff James (21-7) by recording a 12-6 decision behind five takedowns, including three in the final period.

    Erich Schmidtke (15-14) increased OU’s team lead to 19-6 with a 3-2 decision over Ty Vinson at 184 pounds. The redshirt-freshman scored an opening period takedown and an escape in the second to gain Oklahoma’s sixth dual win of the afternoon.

    Sixth-ranked senior Eric Lapotsky (21-5) then posted a 7-2 win over Chad Hanke to put OU on top 22-6. Lapotsky racked up a 5-0 lead after two periods and used an escape and riding time point in the final stanza to gain the victory.

    Fifteenth-ranked heavyweight closed out the dual with an upset over No. 14 Clayton Jack, 7-5. Trailing 3-1 in the third, Fernandez scored a takedown and an escape to force extra time. With 30 seconds remaining in the one minute sudden victory period, the redshirt-junior scored a takedown to improve to 24-9 on the season.

    Next up, the Sooners close out the regular season by visiting in-state rival Oklahoma State on Feb. 21 in Stillwater at 2 p.m. Oklahoma (2-1-1 Big 12) will shoot for its third Big 12 win of the season for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.

    “Bedlam is going to be great,” Spates said. “Oklahoma State has a great program and we are excited for the challenge. We have wrestled extremely hard the last two matches, just the way you want heading into Bedlam.”

    Results:
    125: Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. Jason Lara (OSU), 8-1
    133: Kelly Kubec (OSU) dec. Kendrick Maple (OU), 5-3 (SV1)
    141: Zack Bailey (OU) dec. Mike Mangrum (OSU), 3-1 (SV1)
    149: Kyle Terry (OU) maj. dec. RJ Pena (OSU), 15-3
    157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. Keegan Davis (OSU), 5-4
    165: Tyler Caldwell (OU) dec. Dan Brascetta (OSU), 7-5
    174: Colby Covington (OSU) dec. Jeff James (OU), 12-6
    184: Erich Schmidtke (OU) dec. Ty Vinson (OSU), 3-2
    197: Eric Lapotsky (OU) dec. Chad Hanke (OSU), 7-2
    HWT: Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Clayton Jack (OSU), 7-5 (SV1)

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