"We looked good tonight," head coach Cael Sanderson said. "This is a big win for us because conference matches are so important. We wrestled hard and our fundamentals and conditioning are good. Clark, (Nick) Gallick and (Mitch) Mueller all wrestled outstanding matches. We won the close matches tonight and that helped us."
The 28-point margin of victory is the largest ever by an Iowa State squad in Norman. The previous mark was set on March 7, 1964, when ISU won by 20 points (23-3). The Cyclones have won six straight in the series dating back to 2003. It marks the third time in series history that Iowa State has won six consecutive duals against OU. The other two streaks came in 1921-29 and 1970-73. ISU also matched a school best by garnering its third consecutive win in Norman.
Clark, a true freshman currently ranked 17th, opened the dual at 125 pounds with a 9-0 major decision over Joey Fio. Clark took down Fio in each period and accumulated over four minutes of riding time. Clark has two major decisions on the year and holds a 14-6 record.
Fanthorpe, the nation's seventh-ranked grappler at 133 pounds, tallied his fourth pin of the year with a 5:29 stick of John Starzyk. The Naperville, Ill., native built a 9-2 lead through the first two periods on a pair of takedowns in each stanza. At 1:49 in the third period, Fanthorpe again took down Starzyk for an 11-2 advantage. Fanthorpe had Starzyk's shoulders tilted on the takedown, working for back points and moved the Sooners' shoulders enough for the pin. The Cyclone sophomore holds a 22-3 record.
"The opportunity came, and I was in a position where I was comfortable and able to turn him [Starzyk]," Fanthorpe said of his pin. "Up and down the lineup we wrestled hard, and everybody felt pretty good. We were relaxed going into the match. It's a big match Sunday (at Oklahoma State), but its just another match. It's good competition and preparation for nationals."
Nick Gallick improved to 16-10 in his sophomore campaign at 141 pounds with a 10-3 decision over No. 14 Zack Bailey. Gallick, ranked 20th nationally, had a 4-1 lead on Bailey before using a spladle to get a three-point near fall to conclude the second period with a 7-1 advantage. A pair of escapes in the third period, along with 2:01 worth of riding time, clinched the upset.
Mueller followed at 149 pounds with an upset of his own on a 5-2 decision of No. 9 Will Rowe. The sophomore hailing from Iowa City held a 5-0 advantage midway through the second period on two takedowns and an escape. The only points that the Sooner was able to put on the board were escapes in the second and third periods. Mueller, currently ranked 13th, pushes his record to 17-8.
A takedown with 17 seconds left in the 174-pound bout lifted Aron Scott past No. 20 Jeff James, 3-1. After a scoreless first period of action, both wrestlers exchanged escapes in the second and third periods to tie the match at 1-1. Scott's takedown sealed his seventh win of his senior campaign.
"The coaches have been working with me on my technique," Scott said. "I have found a style that fits me well and got into a rhythm. These Big 12 matches are important. Our team wrestled hard tonight and it will carry into Sunday's dual."
No. 6 Cyler Sanderson (157), No. 6 Jon Reader (165), No. 1 Jake Varner (184) and No. 5 David Zabriskie (HWT) also picked up wins on the night. Sanderson notched an 8-3 decision over No. 20 Chad Terry. In his first overtime match, Reader emerged victorious with a 9-7 decision over three-time NCAA qualifier and Indiana transfer Max Dean on a takedown with 28 seconds left in sudden victory. Varner handed Josh Weitzel his first loss of the year on a 5-1 decision. In a tight heavyweight match against Nathan Fernandez, Zabriskie picked up a 6-5 decision.
Iowa State will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for its second Big 12 contest against No. 3/5 Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. Sunday. A video webcast of the dual will be available to Clone Zone subscribers. Live stats will also be available on cyclones.com. The Cyclones return to Hilton Coliseum Feb. 8 to face Oregon State at 7 p.m.
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