Michigan State University
Oklahoma
Wrestling Suffers 21-8 Loss To No. 12 Oklahoma
2/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 15, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State junior Nick Palmieri notched an upset victory over Oklahoma's 19th-ranked Pat Flynn and senior Rex Kendle earned a 6-0 decision over Derek Peperas in his final dual at Jenison Field House, but the Spartans couldn't hold off the 12th-ranked Sooners, dropping a 21-8 contest on Sunday, Feb. 15.
Sixth-ranked junior Franklin Gomez also recorded a win for the Spartans, downing Oklahoma's David Armstrong, 9-4. Gomez is now 15-2 this season, 11-2 in duals.
"I think (the dual) says a lot about our potential and what the future holds for our program," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel. "They've taken some lumps but we've rebounded and we just really try to understand that this is a process. If we stay positive and we stay working hard and make the proper adjustments, this can be a very, very fine team."
The dual began at 125 pounds, where seventh-ranked Sooner Joey Fio defeated MSU redshirt freshman Eric Olanowski, 9-5, to give Oklahoma the early three point lead.
Gomez then picked up MSU's first win of the day at 133 pounds, narrowing the Sooners' lead to 3-2. MSU redshirt freshman Collin Dozier lost a 5-2 decision at 141 against Seth Vernon to extend Oklahoma's lead to 6-2.
In two tough bouts, MSU 149-pounder David Cheza and 157-pounder Anthony Jones Jr. fell by decision to give Oklahoma a 12-2 lead going into the intermission. Cheza fell to sixth-ranked Kyle Terry, 10-3, while Jones lost an 8-4 decision to Chad Terry.
Kendle earned the Spartans' second win of the afternoon at 165, making the score 12-5. Spartan redshirt freshman Ian Hinton lost a battle at 174 to No. 8 Jeff James, with James recording a takedown with 30 seconds remaining to seal the 3-2 win. Palmieri's win at 184 made the score 15-8 with two bouts remaining.
MSU senior John Murphy gave 11th-ranked Eric Lapotsky all he could handle, but 1:57 of riding time in Lapotsky's favor would break the tie and give the Sooner 197-pounder the 4-3 win. At heavyweight, No. 16 Nathan Fernandez defeated MSU true freshman Steve Andrus by a 10-8 decision.
The Spartans fall to 6-8 overall this season, while the Sooners move to 16-3. MSU will hit the road next weekend for their final duals of the season, taking on Purdue on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. and Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.
FINAL RESULTSOklahoma def. Michigan State, 21-8 (Attendance: 763)125: #7 Joey Fio (OU) dec. Eric Olanowski (MSU), 9-5; OU leads, 3-0133: #6 Franklin Gomez (MSU) dec. David Armstrong (OU), 9-4; OU leads, 3-2141: Seth Vernon (OU) dec. Collin Dozier (MSU), 5-2; OU leads, 6-2149: #6 Kyle Terry (OU) dec. David Cheza (MSU). 10-3; OU leads, 9-2157: Chad Terry (OU) dec. Anthony Jones Jr. (MSU), 8-4; OU leads, 12-2165: Rex Kendle (MSU) dec. Derek Peperas (OU), 6-0; OU leads, 12-5174: #8 Jeff James (OU) dec. Ian Hinton (MSU), 3-2; OU leads, 15-5184: Nick Palmieri (MSU) dec. #19 Pat Flynn (OU), 9-6; OU leads, 15-8197: #11 Eric Lapotsky (OU) dec. John Murphy (MSU), 4-3; OU leads, 18-8285: #16 Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Steve Andrus (MSU), 10-8; OU wins, 21-8
125 pounds: #7 Joey Fio (OU) dec. Eric Olanowski (MSU), 9-5First Period:0:10 - Fio takedown; 0-2
Second Period:Fio starts down1:56 - Fio reversal; 0-4
Third Period:Olanowski starts down1:58 - Olanowski escape; 1-40:57 - Fio takedown; 1-60:50 - Olanowski escape; 2-60:40 - Fio takedown; 2-80:37 - Olanowski escape; 3-80:19 - Olanowski takedown; 5-8Fio 1:55 riding advantage; 5-9Final - Fio dec. Olanowski, 9-5Team Score - OU leads, 3-0MSU deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct
133 pounds: #6 Franklin Gomez (MSU) dec. David Armstrong (OU), 9-4First Period:1:39 - Gomez takedown; 2-01:20 - Armstrong escape; 2-10:16 - Armstrong stall warning0:04 - Armstrong takedown; 2-3
Second Period:Gomez starts down1:59 - Gomez escape; 3-31:01 - Armstrong stall; 4-30:24 - Gomez takedown; 6-3
Third Period:Armstrong starts down1:58 - Armstrong escape; 6-41:07 - Armstrong stall; 7-40:21 - Gomez takedown; 9-4Final - Gomez dec. Armstrong, 9-4Team Score - OU leads, 3-2
141 pounds: Seth Vernon (OU) dec. Collin Dozier (MSU), 5-2First Period:1:23 - Dozier tech. violation; 0-1
Second Period:Vernon starts down0:40 - Vernon reversal; 0-30:10 - Vernon stall warning0:04 - Dozier escape; 1-3
Third Period:Dozier starts down1:51 - Vernon two-point near fall; 1-51:49 - Dozier escape; 2-5Final - Vernon dec. Dozier, 5-2
149 pounds: #6 Kyle Terry (OU) dec. David Cheza (MSU). 10-3First Period:2:10 - Terry takedown; 0-21:56 - Terry stall warning
Second Period:Terry starts down1:40 - Terry escape; 0-30:46 - Terry takedown; 0-5
Third Period:Cheza starts down1:59 - Cheza escape; 1-51:23 - Terry takedown; 1-70:50 - Cheza escape; 2-70:28 - Terry takedown; 2-90:03 - Cheza escape; 3-9Terry 3:35 riding advantage; 3-10Final - Terry dec. Cheza, 10-3
157 pounds: Chad Terry (OU) dec. Anthony Jones Jr. (MSU), 8-4First Period:1:23 - Jones takedown; 2-01:14 - Terry escape; 2-1
Second Period:Terry starts down1:57 - Terry escape; 2-21:01 - Terry takedown; 2-4
Third Period:Neutral start1:32 - Jones takedown; 4-41:28 - Terry escape; 4-51:13 - Terry takedown; 4-7Terry 1:56 riding advantage; 4-8Final - Terry dec. Jones, 8-4
165 pounds: Rex Kendle (MSU) dec. Derek Peperas (OU), 6-0First Period:No scoring
Second Period:Kendle starts down1:58 - Kendle escape; 1-00:19 - Kendle takedown; 3-0
Third Period:Peperas starts down1:13 - Kendle two-point near fall; 5-0Kendle 2:16 riding advantage; 6-0Final - Kendle dec. Peperas, 6-0Team Score - OU leads, 12-5
174 pounds: #8 Jeff James (OU) dec. Ian Hinton (MSU), 3-2First Period:No scoring
Second Period:Hinton starts down1:14 - Hinton escape; 1-0
Third Period:James starts down1:58 - James escape; 1-10:30 - James takedown; 1-30:19 - Hinton escape; 2-3Final - James dec. Hinton, 3-2Team Score - OU leads, 15-5
184 pounds: Nick Palmieri (MSU) dec. #19 Pat Flynn (OU), 9-6First Period:2:54 - Palmieri takedown; 2-02:35 - Flynn escape; 2-10:30 - Flynn takedown; 2-3
Second Period:Flynn starts down1:52 - Flynn escape; 2-41:42 - Palmieri takedown; 4-41:22 - Flynn escape; 4-51:14 - Palmieri takedown; 6-50:30 - Flynn escape; 6-60:04 - Palmieri takedown; 8-6
Third Period:Neutral startNo scoringPalmieri 1:12 riding advantage; 9-6Final - Palmieri dec. Flynn, 9-6Team Score - OU leads, 15-8
197 pounds: #11 Eric Lapotsky (OU) dec. John Murphy (MSU), 4-3First Period:No scoring
Second Period:Lapotsky starts down1:49 - Lapotsky escape; 0-11:22 - Murphy takedown; 2-10:56 - Lapotsky reversal; 2-30:21 - Murphy escape; 3-3
Third Period:Murphy starts down0:37 - Lapotsky stall warningLapotsky 1:57 riding advantage; 3-4Final - Lapotsky dec. Murphy, 4-3
285 pounds: #16 Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Steve Andrus (MSU), 10-8First Period:2:17 - Fernandez takedown; 0-21:56 - Fernandez stall warning1:30 - Andrus escape; 1-21:04 - Andrus takedown; 3-20:57 - Fernandez escape; 3-30:09 - Andrus takedown; 5-30:06 - Fernandez escape; 5-40:03 - Fernandez takedown; 5-6
Second Period:Fernandez starts down1:53 - Fernandez escape; 5-71:02 - Fernandez stall; 6-7
Third Period:Andrus starts down1:09 - Andrus escape; 7-70:36 - Fernandez takedown; 7-90:27 - Andrus escape; 8-9Fernandez 1:27 riding advantage; 8-10Final - Fernandez dec. Andrus, 10-8Team Score - OU wins, 21-8
Players Mentioned
