James Hackney
#18 Oklahoma Weekend Recap
The Sooners had a rough weekend with two conference losses to Iowa State and Northern Iowa. Against the Cyclones they were only able to win one match, while they won four against Northern Iowa. They gave up at least 30 points in each dual, coming from significant bonus point losses. While the team came into the season as someone I dubbed a sleeper, a combination of injuries and poor performances have steadily moved them down the rankings as they move to 5-5 on the year.
- Bonus points are a problem with this team currently.
Out of twenty matches, Oklahoma lost fifteen of them with twelve by bonus points. Jace Koelzer was majored twice, Kaden Smith was teched twice, and Tate Picklo was pinned twice. Some of them were understandable with high level opponents, but the frequency is concerning. Especially with Picklo, who now has given up bonus points seven times including his last three matches. Going further back they gave up four bonus point victories against Wisconsin. While some matches are understandable against top competition, it’s a frustrating trend at this point in the season.
- Conrad Hendriksen is a bright spot in the lineup.
Through the struggles a true freshman has stepped up and performed admirably. Hendriksen wasn’t a highly regarded recruit out of high school and wasn’t expected to make an impact this season. However he won the starting spot and has continuously wrestled tough against ranked opponents and getting some upsets. He took out a tough Trever Anderson, and was a takedown away from beating multiple time qualifier Terukina. While he hasn’t had the consistency to stay in the rankings, he is looking like a tough matchup for anyone and a potential qualifier at a weight the Sooners were looking for an answer….
