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March 21, 2013

DES MOINES, Iowa -- All five of Oklahoma's wrestlers at the NCAA tournament took to the mat in first round action in Des Moines at the Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday morning. Four advanced in the championship bracket, while one will move into wrestleback action tonight.

Redshirt freshman and the No. 8 seed at 133 pounds, Cody Brewer, made his NCAA debut with a win over Columbia's Matt Bystol. Brewer totaled 20 points to Bystol's five to collect his third tech fall of the season, clinch the victory and earn the right to advance in seven minutes of wrestling action.

Kendric Maple, the No. 2 seed at 141 pounds and one of Oklahoma's two returning All Americans in Des Moines secured his ticket to the second round with a 13-1 major decision over Maryland's Frank Goodwin. Maple blanked his opponent in the first period to lead 5-0, and increased his lead to 9-1 by the end of the second. Goodwin's escape was all he would be able to score, as Maple added an escape, takedown and 4:31 of riding time to secure the victory.

Both Brewer and Maple will face familiar opponents in the second round, as Oklahoma will begin Thursday's evening session with back-to-back bouts against Northern Iowa wrestlers.

Brewer will tackle Levi Wolfensperger in second-round action as the No. 8 and No. 9 seed will take to the mat in a battle at 133 pounds. Earlier this year, Brewer topped Wolfensberger with a 13-9 decision. Maple will follow Brewer's lead with a familiar Panther opponent in Joey Lazor - who owns a 12-match win streak heading into tonight's second round. Coincidentally, it was Maple who dished Lazor his last loss, a 6-3 decision, on Jan. 18.

Oklahoma's at-large selection and second All-American in the 2013 NCAA Championships, Nick Lester, advanced to the second round with a close 4-3 decision over Utah Valley's Josh Wilson. With the win, he will face Boise State's No. 2 seed, Jason Chamberlain, in tonight's matchup. Familiarity is a continuing theme for Oklahoma throughout the second round matchups, as Lester and Chamberlain battled it out in the NWCA All-Star Classic to open the 2013 season; Chamberlain prevailed with a 6-3 decision over Nick Lester.

Redshirt senior and Oklahoma captain, Bubby Graham, was the Sooners last wrestler on the mat this morning. The Annapolis, Md., native topped Rider's Ramon Santiago with a 15-3 major decision to close out Oklahoma's second round competitors and move forward in the championship bracket where he'll face Minnesota's No. 11 Cody Yohn.

Matt Lester dropped a 5-4 decision to Air Force's Joshua Kreimer in the first session. He will move into wrestleback action later tonight where he will battle it out against The Citadel's Matthew Frisch in an effort to stay alive in the NCAA Championship.

Session two will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT. Action from mats one, two, three and four will be broadcast online on ESPN3.com.

NCAA First Round Results

133: No. 8 Cody Brewer (OU) tech fall Matt Bystol (Columbia), 20-5 (7:00)
141: No. 2 Kendric Maple (OU) major dec. Frank Goodwin (Maryland), 13-1
149: Nick Lester (OU) dec. Josh Wilson (Utah Valley), 4-3
157: Joshua Kreimier (Air Force) dec. Matt Lester (OU), 5-4
165: No. 6 Bubby Graham (OU) major dec. Ramon Santiago (Rider), 15-3

NCAA Second Round Matchups

133: No. 8 Cody Brewer vs. No. 9 Levi Wolfensperger (UNI, 25-8)
141: No. 2 Kendric Maple vs. Joey Lazor (UNI, 35-7)
149: Nick Lester vs. No. 2 Jason Chamberlain (Boise State, 28-1)
165: No. 6 Patrick Graham vs. No. 11 Cody Yohn (Minnesota, 25-11)

NCAA Wrestleback Matchups

157: Matt Lester vs. Matthew Frisch (Citadel, 29-14)