Oklahoma State snaps Missouri's 37-straight dual meet streak with 23-9 win
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by Roger Moore, Special to TheMat.com
Nolan Boyd of Oklahoma State takes down Missouri's Willie Miklus on the way to a big win at 184 pounds. Photo courtesy of Oklahoma State Athletics.
STILLWATER, Okla. – Missouri grinded its way to 37-straight dual wins dating back to a January 2014 meeting with Oklahoma State. On Friday night that streak came to an end as the fifth-ranked Cowboys beat the No. 4 Tigers at their own game.
OSU (7-2) won 7 of 10 bouts, including Nolan Boyd’s dominant 7-2 victory over MU All-American Willie Micklus at 184 pounds and a tone-setting win by Gary Wayne Harding over 10th-ranked Zach Synon at 133 pounds.
“The streak was nice … but those first two matches we just gave away. (OSU) earned them, but we had big opportunities to win them,” MU head coach Brian Smith said. “They beat us on top all night. We know what (OSU) is going to do.
“But I’m glad we were exposed tonight. It’s January and you need to identify those things and correct them.”
Following Eddie Klimara’s overtime tiebreaker win over Barlow McGhee at 125 pounds, Harding, back in the lineup after Kaid Brock’s season-ending injury, used a second period takedown and third period rideout to beat Synon, 5-2. Harding (9-5) was one of four Cowboys to earn a riding time point in OSU’s 23-9 victory.
“I don’t look at (rankings) or Twitter or anything like that,” Harding said. “I just do my thing. I knew it was going to be a tough match and that I had beat (Synon) last year. We always work on (top) because it’s important in close matches.
“I just want to keep working hard to get better. (Friday) was a confidence builder for sure.”
Top-ranked Dean Heil (18-0) then gave the hosts a 9-0 lead with a tough 3-1 win over fifth-ranked Matt Manley. Heil scored a third period reversal to break a 1-1 tie.
Freshman Joe Smith’s debut included a 10-4 win over LeRoy Barnes that gave the Cowboys a 12-3 advantage.
“My adrenaline was pumping, but once I got going I really started to feel my moves and technique,” said Smith, now 25-2 at 157 pounds. “It was a big win for us; they had 37 straight so to shut down a team like that helped us really make a statement.”
Boyd (18-6) lost to Micklus twice last season, but their third meeting was not close. The OSU junior had two first period takedowns and piled up 4:31 of riding time. The win at 184 put the Cowboys up 18-6 and all-but-secured the team’s victory.
“I think it was supposed to confirm that I have a different mindset,” Boyd said. “And I’m going to run with it and see what happens.”
MU national champion J’Den Cox (19-1) beat rookie Andrew Marsden, 7-3, at 197 pounds, but it was too little too late for the visitors. MU’s other two wins came at 149 and 174 pounds where All-American Lavion Mayes (19-0) beat Anthony Collica, 5-2, and Blaise Butler (11-3) edged Kyle Crutchmer, 3-1, with a takedown :12 into overtime.
Rookie Daniel Lewis, in a 4-3 loss to OSU national champion Alex Dieringer, totaled a surprising 3:24 of riding time. Lewis rode the entirety of the second and third periods after giving up two takedowns to Dieringer (18-0), who won his 67th straight match.
“It wasn’t a big surprise because we know (Lewis) is one of the best in the country,” MU’s Smith said of the four-time high school state champion. “(Lewis) is good on top, he definitely showed that tonight.”
Austin Marsden (17-1) closed out the dual with a quick first period 16-0 technical fall at heavyweight. OSU is now 41-6-1 all-time against MU with all six of the Tigers’ victories coming since 2003.
“The fact that we stopped a steak was a good feeling,” said OSU head coach John Smith. “You have to give respect to them, 37 matches in a row, that is pretty impressive and I’m glad we had an opportunity to put it to an end.”
No. 5 Oklahoma State 23, No. 4 Missouri 9
125-Eddie Klimara (O) dec Barlow McGhee, 2-1 tb1
133-Gary Wayne Harding (O) dec Zach Synon, 5-2
141-Dean Heil (O) dec Matt Manley, 3-1
149-Lavion Mayes (M) dec Anthony Collica, 5-2
157-Joe Smith (O) dec LeRoy Barnes, 10-4
165-Alex Dieringer (O) dec Daniel Lewis, 4-3
174-Blaise Butler (M) dec Kyle Crutchmer, 3-1 OT
184-Nolan Boyd (O) dec Willie Micklus, 7-2
197-J’Den Dox (M) dec Andrew Marsden, 7-3
285-Austin Marsden (O) tech fall James Romero, 16-0 (1:25)
STILLWATER, Okla. – Missouri grinded its way to 37-straight dual wins dating back to a January 2014 meeting with Oklahoma State. On Friday night that streak came to an end as the fifth-ranked Cowboys beat the No. 4 Tigers at their own game.
OSU (7-2) won 7 of 10 bouts, including Nolan Boyd’s dominant 7-2 victory over MU All-American Willie Micklus at 184 pounds and a tone-setting win by Gary Wayne Harding over 10th-ranked Zach Synon at 133 pounds.
“The streak was nice … but those first two matches we just gave away. (OSU) earned them, but we had big opportunities to win them,” MU head coach Brian Smith said. “They beat us on top all night. We know what (OSU) is going to do.
“But I’m glad we were exposed tonight. It’s January and you need to identify those things and correct them.”
Following Eddie Klimara’s overtime tiebreaker win over Barlow McGhee at 125 pounds, Harding, back in the lineup after Kaid Brock’s season-ending injury, used a second period takedown and third period rideout to beat Synon, 5-2. Harding (9-5) was one of four Cowboys to earn a riding time point in OSU’s 23-9 victory.
“I don’t look at (rankings) or Twitter or anything like that,” Harding said. “I just do my thing. I knew it was going to be a tough match and that I had beat (Synon) last year. We always work on (top) because it’s important in close matches.
“I just want to keep working hard to get better. (Friday) was a confidence builder for sure.”
Top-ranked Dean Heil (18-0) then gave the hosts a 9-0 lead with a tough 3-1 win over fifth-ranked Matt Manley. Heil scored a third period reversal to break a 1-1 tie.
Freshman Joe Smith’s debut included a 10-4 win over LeRoy Barnes that gave the Cowboys a 12-3 advantage.
“My adrenaline was pumping, but once I got going I really started to feel my moves and technique,” said Smith, now 25-2 at 157 pounds. “It was a big win for us; they had 37 straight so to shut down a team like that helped us really make a statement.”
Boyd (18-6) lost to Micklus twice last season, but their third meeting was not close. The OSU junior had two first period takedowns and piled up 4:31 of riding time. The win at 184 put the Cowboys up 18-6 and all-but-secured the team’s victory.
“I think it was supposed to confirm that I have a different mindset,” Boyd said. “And I’m going to run with it and see what happens.”
MU national champion J’Den Cox (19-1) beat rookie Andrew Marsden, 7-3, at 197 pounds, but it was too little too late for the visitors. MU’s other two wins came at 149 and 174 pounds where All-American Lavion Mayes (19-0) beat Anthony Collica, 5-2, and Blaise Butler (11-3) edged Kyle Crutchmer, 3-1, with a takedown :12 into overtime.
Rookie Daniel Lewis, in a 4-3 loss to OSU national champion Alex Dieringer, totaled a surprising 3:24 of riding time. Lewis rode the entirety of the second and third periods after giving up two takedowns to Dieringer (18-0), who won his 67th straight match.
“It wasn’t a big surprise because we know (Lewis) is one of the best in the country,” MU’s Smith said of the four-time high school state champion. “(Lewis) is good on top, he definitely showed that tonight.”
Austin Marsden (17-1) closed out the dual with a quick first period 16-0 technical fall at heavyweight. OSU is now 41-6-1 all-time against MU with all six of the Tigers’ victories coming since 2003.
“The fact that we stopped a steak was a good feeling,” said OSU head coach John Smith. “You have to give respect to them, 37 matches in a row, that is pretty impressive and I’m glad we had an opportunity to put it to an end.”
No. 5 Oklahoma State 23, No. 4 Missouri 9
125-Eddie Klimara (O) dec Barlow McGhee, 2-1 tb1
133-Gary Wayne Harding (O) dec Zach Synon, 5-2
141-Dean Heil (O) dec Matt Manley, 3-1
149-Lavion Mayes (M) dec Anthony Collica, 5-2
157-Joe Smith (O) dec LeRoy Barnes, 10-4
165-Alex Dieringer (O) dec Daniel Lewis, 4-3
174-Blaise Butler (M) dec Kyle Crutchmer, 3-1 OT
184-Nolan Boyd (O) dec Willie Micklus, 7-2
197-J’Den Dox (M) dec Andrew Marsden, 7-3
285-Austin Marsden (O) tech fall James Romero, 16-0 (1:25)
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