December 4, 2006

Stillwater, OK (CSTV U-WIRE) -- It was Bedlam as usual Sunday afternoon as the No. 1 Cowboy wrestling team narrowly defeated No. 9 Oklahoma at the Sooners' MacCasland Fieldhouse.

The 17-15 victory gives Oklahoma State its 17th consecutive victory over OU, but OSU coach John Smith said he knew Bedlam would be difficult for his young team.

"I had a feeling that it could be a tough match coming in," Smith said. "I'm pleased with the win."

OSU (3-0) trailed the duel, 15-14, before redshirt freshman Jared Rosholt claimed a 5-0 decision over OU's Brad Farmer, clinching the win for the Cowboys.

"It felt really good to do it," Rosholt said. "I was kind of nervous at first. Before the match I was standing there thinking. I didn't think I could lose, but I thought, 'This does kind of ride on me ...'"

Rosholt said he turned to former Cowboys Steve Mocco and Chris Pendleton for inspiration.

"[I told them], 'I'm kind of worried -- what happens if I lose it for us?'" Rosholt said.

"They said, 'No, this is where you make the paper, man, and go out and win it for us.' I said alright and it totally changed my mind set."

It must have taken a period or two for their words to sink in as Rosholt started slow, but picked up a 1one point technical point after being shoved from the mat in the first period.

Rosholt went into the second period and rode Farmer to maintain his 1-0 lead, and in the third period, he got an escape and a takedown to give him a 4-0 lead. A 3:23 mark in riding time gave Rosholt an additional point.

Rosholt was not the only Cowboy to come away with a key victory.

Cowboy junior Jack Jensen picked up an 8-4 victory over OU's Josh Hinton in the 184-pound division to put the Cowboys up, 14-12, which was also crucial to the Pokes' win.

"You just never know how it's going to turn out," Jenson said. "Its Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. It's my job to win, and I needed a win to help my team out. In that situation, it was pivotal."

This season's first Bedlam duel was also important for senior Johny Hendricks, who notched his 100th career victory with a 7-4 victory over Jake Seibert.

Hendricks joins an exclusive club, having become the 26th wrestler in OSU's storied history to pick up 100 career victories.

"It was a good win, especially with our schedules over the last several years," Smith said.

"Winning a hundred is a special thing, and you go into a special class with a lot of great, great wrestlers."

The Cowboys also picked up wins by Coleman Scott (133) and Nathan Morgan (141), to help propel OSU to a 3-0 dual mark.

The Cowboys return to action Dec. 6, when Oklahoma State travels to face No. 3 Minnesota.

(C) 2006 Daily O'Collegian via CSTV U-WIRE