Eierman, Miklus spark No. 3 Missouri to 21-18 win over No. 5 Oklahoma State in Stillwater
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by Roger Moore, Special to TheMat.com
STILLWATER, Okla. – A half hour after Missouri’s wild 21-18 victory over Oklahoma State inside Gallagher-Iba Arena, Tiger head coach Brian Smith was still trying to catch his breath.
In one of the better duals of the 2017-18 campaign, third-ranked MU won 6 of 10 bouts, including Jaydin Eierman’s second period pin of two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil at 141 pounds and Willie Micklus’ big third period at 197 pounds that provided a six-point margin with only heavyweight left to wrestle.
“Just really proud of the team after all that adversity,” said Smith, whose squad moved to 17-0 and won in Stillwater for just the third time in a series that dates to 1929. “First match, first minute, we’re out, down 6-0 after a match that we thought we could win. Then at 133, what I thought was a pin, we don’t get and lose that match. Everything was going wrong, but our middle weights stepped up.
“Time and time again, this team has found a way to win. It’s always a battle (with Oklahoma State). Good night, really good night for the program.”
Eierman (22-1) took the mat with fifth-ranked OSU (8-2) up 9-0 after an injury default at 125 pounds and All-American Kaid Brock’s 8-7 win over John Erneste at 133 pounds. Brock dodged a major bullet, avoiding a pin after getting caught in a spladle for the final minute of the second period. Two third period takedowns had the crowd into it and the hosts up 9-0.
It would not last, however.
Eierman surprised Heil and the home fans, scoring a fall at 4:49. The two-time NCAA champion scored a second period reversal, but Eierman (22-1), just a sophomore, quickly reversed back and put Heil on his back and an 8-3 lead. An escape cut the lead to 8-4, but the Tiger won an upper-body struggle and took Heil to his back for the pin at 4:49. It drew the visitors to 9-6 after a wild three matches.
“We all knew what I was capable of doing,” said Eierman, who also has a win over Cornell’s talented Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell. “I’ve wrestled three of the top five guys already and I’m excited for Cleveland. It’s a great weight class and it’s going to come down to whoever is on that day.
“I knew I had to push the pace and it paid off. The funny thing is, I told my coaches, that I had a dream and locked up a bear hug in the second period and pinned (Heil). I felt like, all day, that I was going to do it.”
“We beat a national champ tonight,” said Smith of Eierman. “We see that every day in the room (from Eierman). He is special.”
Missouri, with just three seniors in the lineup, tied the dual at 9-9 when Garrett Leeth (17-2) won a tough 8-4 bout with OSU rookie Boo Lewallen at 149 pounds. A match later, 2017 NCAA finalist and senior Joey Lavallee (23-1) built a 6-0 lead after three minutes, but could not keep up the pace, giving up two third-period takedowns, in a 9-5 win at 157 pounds; the victory gave the guests their first lead of the night at 12-9 halfway through the meet.
Things were just getting warmed up at that point.
All-American Chandler Rogers, out last week due to injury, tried an ill-advised high-flyer against MU’s Connor Flynn in the opening period at 165 pounds. Flynn stayed strong and did not take the bait, turning Rogers’ attempt into a 6-0 lead. A headlock, moments later, drew a Brian Smith challenge, and the review gave Rogers a takedown and it was 6-3. The second period started with a Rogers reversal, then a reverse neck-wrench into a pin and, with the slap of the mat, it was 15-12 OSU.
“I was thinking I could afford to give (Flynn) points if I go crazy, but crazy is kind of my style,” Rogers said. “A lot of people have talked to me about how I’m not going out and cutting loose like I usually do, so I thought if I did something crazy maybe my mind will start thinking about cutting loose.
“I love coming back from behind because then you really have nothing to lose. You’re like ‘shoot, I’ve got to throw everything at this guy.’ The early attempt was probably not the smartest, but I’m not looking to do things the smart way. I want to do things the fun way.”
But Missouri won three straight, starting with All-American Daniel Lewis (24-0) and a decisive 7-3 win over Jacobe Smith to tie the dual at 15. Redshirt-freshman Canten Marriott (20-4) pressured Keegan Moore into a third-period stalling point and a 2-1 win at 184 pounds to give Missouri an 18-15 advantage and send the dual to 197 where two All-Americans squared off with the dual in the balance.
MU All-American Willie Micklus, a senior, trying to ride out the final seconds of the second period, gave OSU All-American Preston Weigel an escape at the buzzer. A review proved conclusive and it was 4-3 for Weigel starting the third period. An escape tied it at 4-4 and Micklus countered a shot by Weigel for six points in a decisive final minute to win 10-4 and put the Tigers up by six with only the heavyweights left to grapple. Micklus’ win gave Smith’s Tigers a sixth win to wrap up the dual.
Saturday’s dual got off to a sobering start with MU 125-pounder Barlow McGee getting injured in the first period against Nick Piccininni. After an opening takedown, during a mat return, McGee was injured and could not continue. Concussion protocol was followed, and after a short delay, MU head coach Brian Smith and staff decided it best McGee not continue.
No. 3 Missouri 21, No. 5 Oklahoma State 18
125-Nick Piccininni (O) dec Barlow McGee, by injury default 2:20
133-Kaid Brock (O) dec John Erneste, 8-7
141-Jaydin Eierman (M) pin Dean Heil, 4:49
149-Grant Leeth (M) dec Boo Lewallen, 8-4
157-Joey Lavallee (M) dec Jonce Blaylock, 9-5
165-Chandler Rogers (O) pin Connor Flynn, 3:17
174-Daniel Lewis (M) dec Jacobe Smith, 7-3
184-Canten Marriott (M) dec Keegan Moore, 2-1
197-Willie Micklus (M) dec Preston Weigel, 10-4
285-Derek White (O) maj dec Wyatt Koeling, 17-4
In one of the better duals of the 2017-18 campaign, third-ranked MU won 6 of 10 bouts, including Jaydin Eierman’s second period pin of two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil at 141 pounds and Willie Micklus’ big third period at 197 pounds that provided a six-point margin with only heavyweight left to wrestle.
“Just really proud of the team after all that adversity,” said Smith, whose squad moved to 17-0 and won in Stillwater for just the third time in a series that dates to 1929. “First match, first minute, we’re out, down 6-0 after a match that we thought we could win. Then at 133, what I thought was a pin, we don’t get and lose that match. Everything was going wrong, but our middle weights stepped up.
“Time and time again, this team has found a way to win. It’s always a battle (with Oklahoma State). Good night, really good night for the program.”
Eierman (22-1) took the mat with fifth-ranked OSU (8-2) up 9-0 after an injury default at 125 pounds and All-American Kaid Brock’s 8-7 win over John Erneste at 133 pounds. Brock dodged a major bullet, avoiding a pin after getting caught in a spladle for the final minute of the second period. Two third period takedowns had the crowd into it and the hosts up 9-0.
It would not last, however.
Eierman surprised Heil and the home fans, scoring a fall at 4:49. The two-time NCAA champion scored a second period reversal, but Eierman (22-1), just a sophomore, quickly reversed back and put Heil on his back and an 8-3 lead. An escape cut the lead to 8-4, but the Tiger won an upper-body struggle and took Heil to his back for the pin at 4:49. It drew the visitors to 9-6 after a wild three matches.
“We all knew what I was capable of doing,” said Eierman, who also has a win over Cornell’s talented Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell. “I’ve wrestled three of the top five guys already and I’m excited for Cleveland. It’s a great weight class and it’s going to come down to whoever is on that day.
“I knew I had to push the pace and it paid off. The funny thing is, I told my coaches, that I had a dream and locked up a bear hug in the second period and pinned (Heil). I felt like, all day, that I was going to do it.”
“We beat a national champ tonight,” said Smith of Eierman. “We see that every day in the room (from Eierman). He is special.”
Missouri, with just three seniors in the lineup, tied the dual at 9-9 when Garrett Leeth (17-2) won a tough 8-4 bout with OSU rookie Boo Lewallen at 149 pounds. A match later, 2017 NCAA finalist and senior Joey Lavallee (23-1) built a 6-0 lead after three minutes, but could not keep up the pace, giving up two third-period takedowns, in a 9-5 win at 157 pounds; the victory gave the guests their first lead of the night at 12-9 halfway through the meet.
Things were just getting warmed up at that point.
All-American Chandler Rogers, out last week due to injury, tried an ill-advised high-flyer against MU’s Connor Flynn in the opening period at 165 pounds. Flynn stayed strong and did not take the bait, turning Rogers’ attempt into a 6-0 lead. A headlock, moments later, drew a Brian Smith challenge, and the review gave Rogers a takedown and it was 6-3. The second period started with a Rogers reversal, then a reverse neck-wrench into a pin and, with the slap of the mat, it was 15-12 OSU.
“I was thinking I could afford to give (Flynn) points if I go crazy, but crazy is kind of my style,” Rogers said. “A lot of people have talked to me about how I’m not going out and cutting loose like I usually do, so I thought if I did something crazy maybe my mind will start thinking about cutting loose.
“I love coming back from behind because then you really have nothing to lose. You’re like ‘shoot, I’ve got to throw everything at this guy.’ The early attempt was probably not the smartest, but I’m not looking to do things the smart way. I want to do things the fun way.”
But Missouri won three straight, starting with All-American Daniel Lewis (24-0) and a decisive 7-3 win over Jacobe Smith to tie the dual at 15. Redshirt-freshman Canten Marriott (20-4) pressured Keegan Moore into a third-period stalling point and a 2-1 win at 184 pounds to give Missouri an 18-15 advantage and send the dual to 197 where two All-Americans squared off with the dual in the balance.
MU All-American Willie Micklus, a senior, trying to ride out the final seconds of the second period, gave OSU All-American Preston Weigel an escape at the buzzer. A review proved conclusive and it was 4-3 for Weigel starting the third period. An escape tied it at 4-4 and Micklus countered a shot by Weigel for six points in a decisive final minute to win 10-4 and put the Tigers up by six with only the heavyweights left to grapple. Micklus’ win gave Smith’s Tigers a sixth win to wrap up the dual.
Saturday’s dual got off to a sobering start with MU 125-pounder Barlow McGee getting injured in the first period against Nick Piccininni. After an opening takedown, during a mat return, McGee was injured and could not continue. Concussion protocol was followed, and after a short delay, MU head coach Brian Smith and staff decided it best McGee not continue.
No. 3 Missouri 21, No. 5 Oklahoma State 18
125-Nick Piccininni (O) dec Barlow McGee, by injury default 2:20
133-Kaid Brock (O) dec John Erneste, 8-7
141-Jaydin Eierman (M) pin Dean Heil, 4:49
149-Grant Leeth (M) dec Boo Lewallen, 8-4
157-Joey Lavallee (M) dec Jonce Blaylock, 9-5
165-Chandler Rogers (O) pin Connor Flynn, 3:17
174-Daniel Lewis (M) dec Jacobe Smith, 7-3
184-Canten Marriott (M) dec Keegan Moore, 2-1
197-Willie Micklus (M) dec Preston Weigel, 10-4
285-Derek White (O) maj dec Wyatt Koeling, 17-4
