Norman — By John Shinn
Transcript Sports Writer
Oklahoma enters the NCAA Wrestling Championships ranked No. 8, but has put itself in a position to compete for the national championship.
The Sooners qualified all 10 starters for the first time under the new NCAA selection format instituted last season. The Sooners qualified eight wrestlers last season and finished 31st overall.
Nine of OU’s regulars qualified automatically. The only one who had to sweat out an at-large berth was Kendric Maple at 131 pounds.
Maple finished third in his weight division at the Big 12 tournament, but didn’t have enough wins over Division I opponents for an automatic berth.
Seeded Sooners
Five OU wrestlers enter the event as national seeds. Kyle Terry (26-2) is No. 3 at 149 pounds and is currently on a 17-match winning streak. Zack Bailey (24-6) is No. 5 at 141 pounds, 197-pound Eric Lapotsky (24-6) is sixth, followed by No. 9 Jarrod Patterson (28-9) and No. 10 Shane Vernon (20-5), at 125 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Back again
Five Sooners will be making a return trip to the NCAA Championships. Bailey, Kyle Terry, Jeff James (174 pounds), Lapotsky and Nathan Fernandez (heavyweight) all qualified for the event last season.
None placed at the event. Terry and Lapotsky both fell one win short of being named All-Americans.
End the drought?
Any wrestler who places fifth or higher in his weight class receives All-American recognition. The Sooners will be trying to end a two-year drought without an All-American. Their last was in 2007 when Sam Hazewinkel finished second at 125 pounds.
OU has produced 65 individual national champions and 256 All-Americans.
The Sooners’ last national champion was Teyon Ware at 141 pounds in 2005.
Back in
the top 10?
The Sooners have a history of success at the NCAA Championships under coach Jack Spates. They have finished in the top 10 12 times in Spates’ 17 seasons.
That includes six seasons where OU finished fourth or better. The last three seasons haven’t been as kind.
OU hasn’t finished above 22nd the last three years.
—John Shinn
