Fresno State Athletics
Sunday, February 17
Fresno, CA
2 P.M. PT
Fresno State
16
vs
25
No. 22 Oklahoma
Photo by: Keith Kountz/Fresno State
No. 25 Bulldogs fall to No.22 Sooners, 25-16 to close out regular season
2/17/2019 4:30:00 PM | Wrestling
The No. 25 Fresno State Wrestling team saw its regular season come to an end on Sunday afternoon with a tough 25-16 defeat to No. 22 Oklahoma in a Big 12 dual in front of a season-high crowd of 2,971 at the Save Mart Center.
FRESNO, Calif. - The No. 25 Fresno State Wrestling team saw its regular season come to an end on Sunday afternoon with a tough 25-16 defeat to No. 22 Oklahoma in a Big 12 dual in front of a season-high crowd of 2,971 at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State (9-8, 4-4 B12) won four of 10 matches with sophomore heavyweight AJ Nevills leading the way with his fifth fall of the season while 184-pound redshirt freshman Jackson Hemauer notched his fourth major decision of his first campaign as a Bulldog. Gary Joint at 133 pounds and Isaiah Hokit at 165 pounds each recorded decisions to round out the 'Dogs who got their hands raised on Sunday.
Oklahoma (8-6, 3-3 B12) was able to pick up key victories at 149 pounds, 157 pounds and 197 pounds as each of the Bulldogs ranked wrestlers at those weights fell in hard-fought matches.
How It Happened
With the dual getting started at 174 pounds, the 'Dogs Dominic Kincaid looked to get the 'Dogs out on a strong note leading the Sooners' Anthony Mantaoana, 4-1 after a takedown, but Mantaoana was able to get Kincaid in a tough position and record a fall in 5:59. The Sooners would be docked one team point after the victory for unsportsmanlike conduct to take a 5-0 lead.
The Bulldogs bounced back with No. 20 Hemauer's 9-1 major decision over Kayne MacCallum at 184 pounds as the Wisconsin native used a takedown and four-point near fall in the first period to take a early 6-0 lead as he cruised the victory accumulating 4:13 of riding time.
Riding a nine-match winning streak, junior Josh Hokit looked to make it double digits with a win at 197 pounds, but the Sooner's Jake Woodley, ranked No. 27 in the NCAA Coaches rankings, would pull off the upset with a 3-1 win getting a takedown in the final seconds of the third period to narrowly edge Hokit who came in ranked No. 13 by the NCAA.
No. 17 Nevills followed with a fall over Oklahoma's Jake Boyd in 3:30 (watch) to push the 'Dogs back in the lead 10-8, but that would be the final lead the 'Dogs had on the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Seeing his first action since the Midlands Championships in late December, redshirt freshman Jeremy Trinh got the start at 125 pounds falling by a pin to Christian Moody in 2:50 to give the Sooners back a four-point lead. Joint cut it to one with a tough 2-0 win over freshman Anthony Madrigal with a penalty point and an escape being the difference.
The Sooners won the next three matches as No. 13 Dom Demas recorded a technical fall over Chris Deloza at 141 pounds giving OU a 19-13 lead heading into 149 pounds. With each wrestler ranked in the top 25, the Sooner's No. 24 Davion Jeffries topped the 'Dogs No. 12 Khristian Olivas, 5-3 as Olivas was able to cut Jeffries' lead to 4-3 with a third period escape, but was unable to secure a takedown.
Despite trailing 22-13, redshirt freshman Jacob Wright looked to keep the 'Dogs within striking distance with a win, but a tough 6-2 defeat to Justin Thomas ended any hopes of a Bulldog team win. Redshirt junior Isaiah Hokit closed the match for the Bulldogs with a 3-0 win over Jeremy Thomas.
Quotes
Head Coach Troy Steiner
On the support of the Red Wave at the Save Mart Center all season long.....
"I want to thank the fans for all the support they have given us all year and I wish we could have given them more to cheer about tonight, but it means a lot to have you guys there and we'll be back."
On this afternoon's dual....
"I thought we wrestled Oklahoma's tempo and pace of the match and I told our guys we have to come in and set the tone early and wrestle our pace and our tempo and we didn't do that at certain weights. At other weights, we did not stay disciplined and just have to stay disciplined in certain positions."
On heavyweight AJ Nevills' fall....
"It was a big win for him and for us. I did not like how he came out in the match and let the other guy control the ties, but once he got into a position he was comfortable with, he really got after it and attacked hard on top to turn him and get the fall."
On highlights so far from the season....
"It was right around Christmas when this team started believing and having their expectations turned and those are things you like to see and we have to continue to progress here as we go and I am proud of this team and looking forward to helping prepare them for the Big 12 Championships coming up."
On the Bulldog Wrestling alumni coming back....
"It is great to have the alumni here and they are the ones who fought hard to get this program back. We are working hard here to build a program they can be proud of and support. I hope they see the work we are doing and the progress we are making, because they definitely had a lot to do with the program coming back and I appreciate them being here.
Notes
- Fresno State completes its second season back with an average home attendance of 2,488 over its seven home duals as the total season attendance was 17,418.
- Josh Hokit saw his nine-match winning streak snapped while Wright's winning streak stopped at seven and Olivas' ended at six.
- Nevills has now won his last four matches.
- The Bulldogs finish the regular season 9-8 in duals going 4-3 at home, 3-4 on the road and 2-1 at a neutral site.
Up next
The Bulldogs are now off from competition until the second weekend of March when the 'Dogs travel to Tulsa, Okla. for the 2019 Big 12 Championships set to be held at the BOK Center on March 9-10.
No. 25 Fresno State (16) vs. No. 22 Oklahoma (25) Results
174: No. 31/-/-/- Anthony Mantaoana (OU) won by fall over Dominic Kincaid (FS), 5:59 | OU 5, FS 0
184: No. 20/-/-/23 Jackson Hemauer (FS) maj. dec. Kayne MacCallum (OU), 9-1 | OU 5, FS 4
197: No. 27/-/-/- Jake Woodley (OU) dec. No. 13/14/14/14 Josh Hokit (FS), 3-1 | OU 8, FS 4
285: No. 23/-/-/17 AJ Nevills (FS) won by fall over Jake Boyd (OU), 3:30 | FS 10, OU 8
125: Christian Moody (OU) won by fall over Jeremy Trinh (FS), 2:50 | OU 14, FS 10
133: Gary Joint (FS) dec. Anthony Madrigal (OU), 2-0 | OU 14, FS 13
141: No. 14/13/18/16 Dom Demas (OU) tech. fall Chris Deloza (FS), 19-4 (6:54) | OU 19, FS 13
149: No. 24/-/-/- Davion Jeffries (OU) dec. Khristian Olivas (FS), 5-3 | OU 22, FS 13
157: Justin Thomas (OU) dec. No. 29/-/19/- Jacob Wright (FS), 6-2 | OU 25, FS 13
165: Isaiah Hokit (FS) dec. Jeremy Thomas (OU), 3-0 | OU 25, FS 16
- Rankings by NCAA Coaches rankings (2/14), FloWrestling, InterMat and Trackwrestling (2/12)
- Oklahoma penalized one team point after the 174 pound match for unsportsmanlike conduct.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter: @Fresno StateWRES
Instagram:Â fresnostatewrestling
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Fresno State (9-8, 4-4 B12) won four of 10 matches with sophomore heavyweight AJ Nevills leading the way with his fifth fall of the season while 184-pound redshirt freshman Jackson Hemauer notched his fourth major decision of his first campaign as a Bulldog. Gary Joint at 133 pounds and Isaiah Hokit at 165 pounds each recorded decisions to round out the 'Dogs who got their hands raised on Sunday.
Oklahoma (8-6, 3-3 B12) was able to pick up key victories at 149 pounds, 157 pounds and 197 pounds as each of the Bulldogs ranked wrestlers at those weights fell in hard-fought matches.
How It Happened
With the dual getting started at 174 pounds, the 'Dogs Dominic Kincaid looked to get the 'Dogs out on a strong note leading the Sooners' Anthony Mantaoana, 4-1 after a takedown, but Mantaoana was able to get Kincaid in a tough position and record a fall in 5:59. The Sooners would be docked one team point after the victory for unsportsmanlike conduct to take a 5-0 lead.
The Bulldogs bounced back with No. 20 Hemauer's 9-1 major decision over Kayne MacCallum at 184 pounds as the Wisconsin native used a takedown and four-point near fall in the first period to take a early 6-0 lead as he cruised the victory accumulating 4:13 of riding time.
Riding a nine-match winning streak, junior Josh Hokit looked to make it double digits with a win at 197 pounds, but the Sooner's Jake Woodley, ranked No. 27 in the NCAA Coaches rankings, would pull off the upset with a 3-1 win getting a takedown in the final seconds of the third period to narrowly edge Hokit who came in ranked No. 13 by the NCAA.
No. 17 Nevills followed with a fall over Oklahoma's Jake Boyd in 3:30 (watch) to push the 'Dogs back in the lead 10-8, but that would be the final lead the 'Dogs had on the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Seeing his first action since the Midlands Championships in late December, redshirt freshman Jeremy Trinh got the start at 125 pounds falling by a pin to Christian Moody in 2:50 to give the Sooners back a four-point lead. Joint cut it to one with a tough 2-0 win over freshman Anthony Madrigal with a penalty point and an escape being the difference.
The Sooners won the next three matches as No. 13 Dom Demas recorded a technical fall over Chris Deloza at 141 pounds giving OU a 19-13 lead heading into 149 pounds. With each wrestler ranked in the top 25, the Sooner's No. 24 Davion Jeffries topped the 'Dogs No. 12 Khristian Olivas, 5-3 as Olivas was able to cut Jeffries' lead to 4-3 with a third period escape, but was unable to secure a takedown.
Despite trailing 22-13, redshirt freshman Jacob Wright looked to keep the 'Dogs within striking distance with a win, but a tough 6-2 defeat to Justin Thomas ended any hopes of a Bulldog team win. Redshirt junior Isaiah Hokit closed the match for the Bulldogs with a 3-0 win over Jeremy Thomas.
Quotes
Head Coach Troy Steiner
On the support of the Red Wave at the Save Mart Center all season long.....
"I want to thank the fans for all the support they have given us all year and I wish we could have given them more to cheer about tonight, but it means a lot to have you guys there and we'll be back."
On this afternoon's dual....
"I thought we wrestled Oklahoma's tempo and pace of the match and I told our guys we have to come in and set the tone early and wrestle our pace and our tempo and we didn't do that at certain weights. At other weights, we did not stay disciplined and just have to stay disciplined in certain positions."
On heavyweight AJ Nevills' fall....
"It was a big win for him and for us. I did not like how he came out in the match and let the other guy control the ties, but once he got into a position he was comfortable with, he really got after it and attacked hard on top to turn him and get the fall."
On highlights so far from the season....
"It was right around Christmas when this team started believing and having their expectations turned and those are things you like to see and we have to continue to progress here as we go and I am proud of this team and looking forward to helping prepare them for the Big 12 Championships coming up."
On the Bulldog Wrestling alumni coming back....
"It is great to have the alumni here and they are the ones who fought hard to get this program back. We are working hard here to build a program they can be proud of and support. I hope they see the work we are doing and the progress we are making, because they definitely had a lot to do with the program coming back and I appreciate them being here.
Notes
- Fresno State completes its second season back with an average home attendance of 2,488 over its seven home duals as the total season attendance was 17,418.
- Josh Hokit saw his nine-match winning streak snapped while Wright's winning streak stopped at seven and Olivas' ended at six.
- Nevills has now won his last four matches.
- The Bulldogs finish the regular season 9-8 in duals going 4-3 at home, 3-4 on the road and 2-1 at a neutral site.
Up next
The Bulldogs are now off from competition until the second weekend of March when the 'Dogs travel to Tulsa, Okla. for the 2019 Big 12 Championships set to be held at the BOK Center on March 9-10.
No. 25 Fresno State (16) vs. No. 22 Oklahoma (25) Results
174: No. 31/-/-/- Anthony Mantaoana (OU) won by fall over Dominic Kincaid (FS), 5:59 | OU 5, FS 0
184: No. 20/-/-/23 Jackson Hemauer (FS) maj. dec. Kayne MacCallum (OU), 9-1 | OU 5, FS 4
197: No. 27/-/-/- Jake Woodley (OU) dec. No. 13/14/14/14 Josh Hokit (FS), 3-1 | OU 8, FS 4
285: No. 23/-/-/17 AJ Nevills (FS) won by fall over Jake Boyd (OU), 3:30 | FS 10, OU 8
125: Christian Moody (OU) won by fall over Jeremy Trinh (FS), 2:50 | OU 14, FS 10
133: Gary Joint (FS) dec. Anthony Madrigal (OU), 2-0 | OU 14, FS 13
141: No. 14/13/18/16 Dom Demas (OU) tech. fall Chris Deloza (FS), 19-4 (6:54) | OU 19, FS 13
149: No. 24/-/-/- Davion Jeffries (OU) dec. Khristian Olivas (FS), 5-3 | OU 22, FS 13
157: Justin Thomas (OU) dec. No. 29/-/19/- Jacob Wright (FS), 6-2 | OU 25, FS 13
165: Isaiah Hokit (FS) dec. Jeremy Thomas (OU), 3-0 | OU 25, FS 16
- Rankings by NCAA Coaches rankings (2/14), FloWrestling, InterMat and Trackwrestling (2/12)
- Oklahoma penalized one team point after the 174 pound match for unsportsmanlike conduct.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter: @Fresno StateWRES
Instagram:Â fresnostatewrestling
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
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