Jan. 20, 2012
RESULTS AND PLAY-BY-PLAY
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Arizona State University wrestling team faced its first true road test of the season on Friday, falling to the top-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, 33-6, at the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.
The Sun Devils, who had only taken part in tournaments or neutral site duals this season, dropped to 5-8 on the season with the loss and are now 0-1 in true road contests.
The Cowboys (7-0, 2-0 Big 12) roster, which packed with nine starters who are currently ranked in the top-18 in the nation at their respective weight class, was just too much for the youth of Arizona State. ASU (5-8, 1-1 Pac-12) started seven true or redshirt freshmen in front of the crowd of 2,088 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Nathan Hoffer, one of those redshirt freshman, looks to have overcome a tough early winter and showed why he’ll be someone to keep an eye on in the coming years with an upset of 12th-ranked Josh Kindig at 141 pounds to bring ASU back to within 9-3 after losing the first two matches by bonus-points.
Hoffer overcame an early takedown by Kindig before adding two takedowns and a two-point nearfall in the first to take the 7-3 lead after one and never looked back en route to a 10-4 decision.
At 149 pounds, redshirt freshman Joel Smith gave No. 2 Jamal Parks all he could handled for the better part of two of the three periods as he led 3-2 at one point and only a two-point nearfall at the buzzer dropped him behind 6-3 heading into the third frame. Unfortunately, Parks was able to take over from there in dropping Smith in a 15-5 major decision, though the Sun Devil frosh showed a lot of character in the bout after having missed the better part of the past month with injury.
ASU’s Hans Rasmusson was able to keep No. 12 Albert White to just a decision at 157 pounds, falling 7-3, but OSU’s No. 18 Dallas Bailey would go on to drop true freshman Rush Hall in a 19-4 technical fall in the ASU youngster’s first ever collegiate match at 165 pounds.
No. 5 Chris Perry defeated ASU senior Eric Starks in an 11-1 major decision before redshirt freshman Kevin Radford got ASU back on the board with a 13-9 decision over Zach White at 184 pounds to bring the score to 25-6.
Redshirt freshman Chace Eskam dropped a technical fall to OSU’s No. 10 Blake Rosholt in just the third collegiate dual of his career at 197 pounds before No. 3 Alan Gelogaev topped ASU’s ninth-ranked Levi Cooper at heavyweight, 6-1, to wrap up the match for the Cowboys.
ASU will have tomorrow off before heading to the second part of their Oklahoma road trip on Sunday, where the seem will take on the #11 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Okla., at 2 p.m. CST.