The Sooners return to action to finish the regular season on the road against the two of the top three teams in the nation.  Oklahoma will travel to No. 2 Nebraska starting at 4 p.m. on Friday and No. 3 Missouri starting at 12 p.m. on Sunday. 

Nebraska leads the Big 12 Conference in wins with 18, but the overall series record between the Sooners and the Huskers is 33-11-1 in favor of Oklahoma.  Nebraska currently has a wrestler ranked in all but one weight class, but Nebraska has not defeated OU since 1999. 

Missouri has only beaten Oklahoma three times in 41 matches which has the overall record at 38-3-0; the Tigers did win the last meeting.  Missouri will try to make it four wins with eight out of their 10 starters ranked in the top 20. 

Spates vs. Spates

When Oklahoma travels to Columbia, head coach Jack Spates will watch his son wrestle against his team for the last time.  Jeremy Spates of Missouri is a senior and is ranked third in the nation at 149 pounds; he won his 100th career match over the weekend against Iowa State.  The younger Spates will battle against Jeff Ecklof.

Sooners In The Rankings

InterMat

125 Pounds:  Sam Hazewinkel, Fr, 11.

133 Pounds:  Mimi Miller, Fr, 15.

141 Pounds:  Teyon Ware, So, 3.

149 Pounds:  Jeff Ecklof, Fr, 9.

174 Pounds:  E.K. Waldhaus, Jr, 11.

184 Pounds:  Justin Dyer, Fr, 9.

285 Pounds:  Leonce Crump, Sr, 4.
 

Amateur Wrestling News

125 Pounds:  Sam Hazewinkel, Fr, 10.

133 Pounds:  Mimi Miller, Fr, 18.

141 Pounds:  Teyon Ware, So, 2.

149 Pounds:  Jeff Ecklof, Fr, 12.

174 Pounds:  E.K. Waldhaus, Jr, 14.

184 Pounds:  Justin Dyer, Fr, 8.

285 Pounds:  Leonce Crump, Sr, 4.

Crump Leads By Example

Senior Leonce Crump is currently ranked fourth nationally and is the leader of the Sooners on the mat.  Crump currently lead the team in wins with 28, overall falls with 10, dual falls with five and has the teams longest current winning streak at six.  Crump is tied for the team lead with Sam Hazewinkel for wins versus Big 12 competition with five and wins versus top 20 teams with six.  Crump needs just one more win to surpass the century mark.  Crump’s overall record is 99-18.

Dyer Determination

Freshman Justin Dyer is ranked eighth in the country and has a 20-8 record at 184 pounds.  Dyer replaced two-time conference champion and All-American and 2003 NCAA runner-up Josh Lambrecht.  Dyer is the only wrestler to have wrestled at 184 pounds this season recording four falls and two technical falls.  Dyer leads the team in dual points scored with 147.

Sooners Leading The Big 12

Sam Hazewinkel, Jeff Ecklof and Leonce Crump all lead the Big 12 as of Feb. 3 in wins at their respective weight classes of 125, 149 and HWT.  Hazewinkel has 27 wins, Ecklof has 25 and Crump has 28 wins, which also leads the team. 

E.K. Waldhaus is second at the 174 pound weight class with 25 wins behind Chris Pendelton of Oklahoma State who beat Waldhaus 5-2 over the weekend.  

Oklahoma Split Last Home Duals Of The Season

In their last match at the Howard McCasland Field House of the season, the eighth ranked Sooners hosted Michigan State on Feb. 6 winning by a score of 29-6.  Oklahoma won eight matches with three major decisions and one fall.  The dual was highlighted by Leonce Crump picking up the Sooners’ first win with a fall making it 36 career pins. 

The eighth ranked Sooners lost the Bedlam Series, presented by the Bank of Oklahoma and Your Oklahoma Ford Dealers, to top-ranked Oklahoma State the following Sunday in the Lloyd Noble Center, 26-10.  Oklahoma won only three matches on the night with freshman Mimi Miller upsetting third-ranked and defending national champion, Johnny Thompson, by a 7-6 decision at 133 pounds. 

Fantastic Freshmen

This year’s freshmen class was preseason ranked third in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News.  Currently four freshman start for the Sooners; Sam Hazewinkel, Mimi Miller, Jeff Ecklof and Justin Dyer.  Hazewinkel is currently 5-0 in the Big 12 Conference and is ranked 12th nationally.  Miller, ranked 15th, upset third-ranked and two time defending national champion Johnny Thompson of Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series.  Ecklof, ranked ninth, is second on the team in overall falls with nine behind Leonce Crump who has five and tied for second in dual falls with four, tied with Teyon Ware.  Dyer, ranked eighth, is second in the Big 12 in dual wins with 16 at 184 pounds.

Crump Moving Up Career Pin List

Leonce Crump added one more pin to the list over Mike Keenan of Michigan State on Friday to move into a three way tie for sixth place with Danny Hodge and Josh Lambrecht.  Crump currently has 36 pins, 22 short of Dan Chaid who is first on the list with 58.

Sooner Wrestling Signs New Talent

After recruiting individuals from across the nation, the Oklahoma Sooners head coach Jack Spates named four new members to their 2005 recruiting class. The class includes top ranked individuals from Maryland, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The following is a list of the Sooners' new talent:

Blake Allen, Vinita High School, Vinita, Okla.

Jerome Featherstone, Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, Joppa, Md.

Jake Jackson, Hebron High School, Carrolton, Texas

Jarrod King, Connellsville High School, Connellsville, Pa.