ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The second-ranked Ouachita Tigers wrestling team recorded its first win over the ninth-ranked University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos in program history on Tuesday night. The Tigers defeated the Bronchos by an overall score of 26-9.
The Tigers dominated throughout the dual, winning eight out of the 10 individual matches.
Garrett Evans, a three-time NCAA Division II All-American, gave the Tigers the first lead of the dual, after he won a 4-2 decision of Zac D'Amico. Evans recorded two takedowns in the three-period match. With the win, Evans moves to 4-3 on the season.
Nate Rodriguez put the Tigers ahead 6-0 after his 5-2 decision over Dustin Reed. The 2014 All-American fell behind 1-0 early but recorded four consecutive points to take a commanding lead. Rodriguez's season record moves to 5-4 on the year.
In the 141-pound weight class,
Josh Myers got a 13-1 major decision over UCO's Austin Quinton. Myers, who was the 2014 National Runner-Up, recorded three takedowns and two near falls on his way to an undefeated 4-0 start to the season.
The Bronchos brought the overall score to 10-3 after the 149-pound match, when UCO's Spencer Rutherford won a narrow 7-5 decision of
Tanner Bailey. Bailey, a freshman from Tulsa, Okla., was handed only his second loss as he moves to 8-2 on the year.
Ouachita's
Dakota Head, a freshman from Tuttle, Okla., got the Tigers back on track with a 5-4 decision over Jeromy Davenport in the 157-pound match. Down 4-2 in the third and final period of the individual match, Head recorded two consecutive points to send the match to a sudden-death overtime. In overtime, Head quickly earned a one-point escape to steal the win. With the win, Head's record improves to 10-3.
Central Oklahoma's Chris Watson defeated Ouachita's
Jacob Andrews in the 165-pound match, bringing the overall score to 13-9. Watson pinned Andrews in the first period, and Andrews falls to 12-5 on the season.
Payne Hatter, the 2014 Junior College National Champion, brought the momentum right back to Ouachita with an 8-6 decision over Colton Gallo in the 174-pound match. Hatter posted to reversals and one near fall in the match.
Dallas Smith followed Hatter with a 10-1 major decision to give the Tigers a 20-9 lead with two matches remaining. Smith, a three-time All-American and 2013 National Finalist, moves to 1-0 on the year with the win in the 184-pound match.
Ouachita's
O'Dell Lee continued the winning streak for the Tigers with a 5-4 decision over John Finn. Lee earned an escape in the second period that brought the individual-match score to 3-4, then he later took a 5-4 lead on a takedown late in the third period. Lee recorded his second win of the year and has a record of 2-3.
In the final match of the evening,
Blake Andrews won a 7-6 decision over Kyle Factor in the 285-pound match. Andrews, who now has a 13-0 record, posted two takedowns and a reversal to get the win.
The Tigers will travel to Wichita, Kan. on Dec. 14, for the Jet Newman Invite. The next home dual for Ouachita will be on Jan. 23, 2015, when the Tigers take on Wayland Baptist.
