Recap provided by Brendan McInerney of OU Athletics
NORMAN – The Oklahoma wrestling team wrapped up its home slate with a season-best performance on Saturday night, knocking off No. 20 Missouri, 23-13, inside McCasland Field House. It was the 59th career meeting between the only two universities in the Southeastern Conference that sponsor wrestling, but compete on the mat in the Big 12 as affiliate members.
The No. 22 Sooners (7-4, 3-4 Big 12) won their first four matches to take a 12-0 lead in the dual, a lead they would hold on to until the final whistle. Two of OU’s seven wins on the night came with bonus points. Before the match, the program honored six senior student-athletes in Antonio Lorenzo, Cleveland Belton, Willie McDougald, Gaven Sax, Seth Seago and Ryder Wiese.
In a series that dates back to 1923, Saturday’s victory marked the Sooners’ first over the Tigers (5-8, 4-2 Big 12) since 2017. Only OU’s series’ with Oklahoma State (1920), Texas A&M (1921), Iowa State (1922), Northern Iowa (1922) and Kansas (1922) are longer in program history in terms of years since it began.
Starting at 125 pounds, No. 28 Lorenzo (13-6) was the first to take the mat for the Sooners against Mizzou’s No. 31 Gage Walker. A first period takedown and escape were all that was needed for the senior to clinch the match by a 4-1 decision. Continuing his momentum from last weekend, Lorenzo improved his season dual record to 8-2 while notching a team-leading fifth ranked win in the process.
Trailing 4-1 heading into the final period, No. 23 Belton (133) utilized a reversal, takedown and four point near-fall in an action-packed final frame to take the 11-5 decision over Kade Moore. The senior snapped a two-dual losing streak with his 10th win of the season.
The most anticipated bout of the evening pitted OU’s No. 18 Schwartz against Mizzou’s No. 14 Josh Edmond. In a rematch of last season’s sudden-victory thriller in Colombia which saw Schwartz come out on top, the pair of 2024 NCAA qualifiers provided fireworks once again in Norman. A tightly contested match from whistle-to-whistle, Edmond held a 4-3 lead with 14 seconds left in the contest as the two Big 12 foes met in the middle of the mat in neutral position. Schwartz worked quick off the whistle, landing a takedown with two seconds remaining to pull off the electrifying 6-4 win. The Franktown, Colo., has knocked off consecutive top-15 opponents, and is seeking a fourth career trip to the NCAA Wrestling Championship in March.
McDougald (149) joined the party, giving the Sooners a 12-0 lead with a 5-2 win in sudden-victory against Logan Gioffre. The senior is 3-0 on the year when wrestling past regulation.
Adding back-to-back bonus point wins for the Sooners at 174 and 184, No. 15 Sax (Fall 2:19) and No. 20 DJ Parker (TF 19-4) secured the win for the Sooners.
At 157 pounds, Landyn Sommer dropped an 8-2 decision to Mizzou’s James Conway. OU’s No. 30 Tate Picklo was majored by No. 15 Cam Steed 13-3 in the 174-pound bout.
Wrestling at 197, Seth Seago suffered a 4-1 decision in sudden-victory to Jesse Cassatt in the senior’s season dual debut. In the heavyweight bout, No. 25 Juan Mora dropped his match to Seth Nitzel, 7-1.
Up next, the Sooners will head west to take on Arizona State on Sunday, Feb. 16 in their season finale. The first bout from Mullett Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.
#22 Oklahoma 23, #20 Missouri 13
125: No. 28 Antonio Lorenzo (OU) def. Gage Walker (MIZZ), Dec 4-1
133: No. 23 Cleveland Belton (OU) def. Kade Moore (MIZZ), Dec 11-5
141: No. 18 Mosha Schwartz (OU) def. No. 14 Josh Edmond (MIZZ), Dec 6-4
149: No. 16 Willie McDougald (OU) def. Logan Gioffre (MIZZ), SV-1 5-2
157: James Conway (MIZZ) def. Landyn Sommer (OU), Dec 8-2
165: No. 15 Cam Steed (MIZZ) def. No. 30 Tate Picklo (OU), MD 13-3
174: No. 15 Gaven Sax (OU) def. Joel Mylin (MIZZ), Fall (2:19)
184: No. 20 DJ Parker Jr (OU) def. Jeremy Jakowitsch (MIZZ), TF 19-4 (7:00)
197: Jesse Cassatt (MIZZ) def. Seth Seago (OU), SV-1 4-1
285: Seth Nitzel (MIZZ) def. No. 25 Juan Mora (OU) (Dec 7-1)
