James Hackney
This dual was originally going to be Saturday, but it’s sounding like both Wisconsin and Navy will be Friday. Last year OU won this dial 28-12 and will be looking to repeat that result here. The team matches up well with Wisconsin, but Navy is an impressive 6-0 this season with wins over Pittsburgh and Illinois. The team has six ranked wrestlers, and some big opportunities for the Sooners. If the team can come away from the weekend 2-0, they’d be set up nicely to have a strong second semester.
125lbs: Conrad Hendriksen (10-6) vs Evan Tallmadge (6-4)
This is a big matchup for these wrestlers, as they are both freshmen looking to qualify in their first year. Both have solid wins, but haven’t had the consistent success to stay in the rankings. Tallmadge has close losses to ranked wrestlers and beat Colton Camacho earlier this year. Hendriksen is coming off a Southern Scuffle that saw him get majored by two ranked wrestlers, a surprising result with his typically strong defense. I think Hendriksen could be a tough style matchup for a fellow young wrestler, so I’ll take him getting the win and the Sooners started strong.
Prediction: Hendriksen Dec. Tallmadge (OU 3 NAVY 0)
133lbs: Jace Koelzer (11-7) vs #27 Brendan Ferretti (8-4)
Ferretti is a sophomore looking to qualify for the second time after making it with a 22-11 record last year. He’s coming off a disappointing 1-2 F&M Open, but an early season win over Pitt’s Vince Santaniello is keeping him in the rankings. Koelzer is looking to get back into the rankings himself, and this is a great opportunity. Ferretti has some length for the weight and uses it well in scrambles and on top, something Koelzer has struggled with. Koelzer is on the bubble right now for March, and I think he drops this one by a decision….
