The following is a press release courtesy of Iowa State athletic communications.
AMES, Iowa – The No. 22 Iowa State wrestling team fell 29-9 to No. 2 Oklahoma State in its Big 12 season opener Friday night. The Cowboys won seven of the 10 matches in front of the 2,248 spectators at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones fall to 0-4 in dual competition, while Oklahoma State improves to 1-0.
At 125, redshirt freshman Ryak Finch upset No. 8 Ladd Rupp in a 6-4 decision to shake up the Cowboy momentum in the third match of the night. Finch led Rupp 2-0 with over one minute of riding time entering the second period. A quick reversal in the second extended the Safford, Ariz., native’s lead to 4-0. After a near-comeback by Rupp, Finch held off the Cowboy grappler with a 5-4 lead after regulation and one point of riding time to seal the victory.
“We’ll take the win but he can compete at a higher level than that,” said Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson. “He can be more offensive than that and it shouldn’t have been that close. But again he’s a redshirt freshman and we’ll take it at this point but we have to continue to get better.”
Finch has inched up in the rankings each week and was slated at the No. 12 spot in Tuesday’s Intermat poll. The 125-pounder improves to 4-0 in dual competition.
Cyclone captain Andrew Sorenson remains undefeated this season after earning a decision over No. 11 Dallas Bailey at 165 pounds. Fifth-ranked Sorenson entered the third period down one, but an early escape by the Woden, Iowa native knotted the score. Less than one minute later a stall call on Bailey gave Sorenson a 2-1 lead and a single-leg takedown by the redshirt senior secured the match and riding time for a 5-1 decision over Bailey.
“He continues to try to show our guys how we want to wreslte and that’s continue to attack and score points and seal the match,” Jackson said. “He didn’t have to have that last takedown to win that match but he went and got it because that’s what he’s trained to do and that’s what he knows is the correct way to win.”
Redshirt junior Chris Spangler earned a 9-5 decision over Chris McNeil for the third Cyclone victory in the meet. 10th-ranked Spangler grabbed McNeil’s left ankle with 1:30 remaining in the second period for a takedown to extend his lead to 6-2 and add up riding time for well over one minute. Spangler held off McNeil’s late effort in which the Cowboy 174-pounder had a takedown and near-takedown as time expired.
The Big 12 bout began at 197 pounds in which No. 3 Cayle Byers of Oklahoma State defeated redshirt sophomore Cole Shafer in a 9-1 major decision. Heavyweight Alan Gelogaev extended the Cowboy lead in the second match with a 9-3 decision over Matt Gibson in his second dual of the season.
Both top-ranked Jordan Oliver and No. 7 Josh Kindig posted pins for the Cowboys. Oliver earned the fall at 2:38 against true freshman Shayden Terukina and Kindig posted the fall over Luke Goettl in the 1:57 mark.
Cowboy 184-pounder Chris Perry defeated Cyclone Boaz Beard with a 9-2 decision in the final match of the night.
The Cyclones return to Hilton Sunday for their second Big 12 dual of the season against No. 16 Oklahoma. The match is set to begin at 2 p.m. (CST).
197: Cayle Byers (OSU) MDec. Cole Shafer (ISU) 9-1 285: Alan Gelogaev (OSU) Dec. Matt Gibson (ISU) 9-3 125: Ryak Finch (ISU) Dec. Ladd Rupp 6-4 133: Jordan Oliver (OSU) Pinned Shayden Terukina (ISU) 2:38 141: Josh Kindig (OSU) Pinned Luke Goettl (ISU) 1:57 149: Jamal Parks (OSU) Dec. Joey Cozart (ISU) 6-3 157: Albert White (OSU) MDec. Luke Swalla (ISU) 13-5 165: Andrew Sorenson (ISU) Dec. Dallas Bailey (OSU) 5-1 174: Chris Spangler (ISU) Dec. Chris McNeil (OSU) 9-5 184: Chris Perry (OSU) Dec. Boaz Beard (ISU) 9-2
