ITHACA, N.Y. -- Junior
Dylan Palacio upset the No. 6 ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, but Oklahoma State's strength was apparent in a 32-12 dual meet victory on Sunday afternoon in front of 4,076 fans in Newman Arena. The Big Red dropped to 4-5 on the season, while the Cowboys improved to 10-2.
Cornell surrendered six points off the bat after forfeiting at 125 and never got out of the hole, though senior
Nahshon Garrett, wrestling his final match in front of the home fans, did his best to tie it up. The senior took down 18th-ranked Gary Wayne Harding seconds into the match, tilted him three times for four points apiece and took a 14-1 lead into the second period after cutting him late. After Harding chose bottom to begin the second, Garrett was able to ride him out without much trouble, nearly locking up a cradle twice. Garrett took bottom to open the third and reversed the Cowboy a little more than 30 seconds in to finish off the tech fall, 17-1.
After top-ranked Dean Heil majored unranked
Mark Grey 9-1 at 141 and 13th-ranked Anthony COllica added to the Cowboy lead with a first period fall over Joey Galasso, junior
Dylan Palacio pulled the first upset of the night. Palacio won scramble late in the closing seconds of the first period against sixth-ranked Joe Smith to enter into the second up 2-0. After an escape made it 3-0 to open the second, Smith earned a takedown that was nearly simultaneously reversed by Palacio to make it 5-2 and get Newman Arena to explode. Smith nearly reversed Palacio in the final 10 seconds, but Palacio was able to defend and take the three-point lead into the third. The Cowboy wrestler earned an escape after choosing bottom to start the period, but Palacio was able to win another scramble for another takedown. The junior added another point to his total with riding time, and a late escape by Smith wasn't enough to overcome as Palacio defeated a top 10 wrestler for the first time this season.
After a 10-minute halftime that saw some of Cornell's greatest champions honored, including Kyle Dake, Steve Bosak and Cam Simaz, reining two-time national champion Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State wasted little time in pinning No. 15
Duke Pickett, squaring his shoulders off 78 seconds into the match to put the Cowboys up 22-8.
Cornell bounced back with a major decision victory by sixth-ranked
Brian Realbuto, showing complete dominance on top with a 13-2 victory over Chandler Rogers. Rogers earned the first takedown, but Realbuto reversed him almost immediately and took control. Realbuto was able to tilt Rogers twice for four points and once more for two, but despite choosing top and riding the Cowboy wrestler hard throughout, had to settle for the major decision after posting more than four minutes of riding time.
The biggest upset of the day came as defending national champion
Gabe Dean had his 52-match win streak snapped in a 14-9 loss to No. 16 Nolan Boyd. Dean earned the only two takedowns of the first to lead 4-2 heading into the second, but an escape, takedown and consecutive rolls for a total of six back points put Boyd in the driver's seat heading into the third. Dean earned an escape to make it 11-6, but Boyd won a scramble to go up 13-6 and gained a bonus point for an illegal move. Dean took Boyd down to the mat in the closing seconds, but the Cowboy wrestler was saved by the bell as Dean looked to reverse the decision with a fall.
Preston Weigel used an escape and riding time to top
Owen Scott in a match between two wrestlers looking to break into the national rankings. Fifth-ranked Austin Marsden closed the dual with a 16-3 major decision win over freshman Jeramy Sweaney, though the freshman earned a late takedown and forced Marsden to wrestle a full seven minutes.
Cornell will attempt to claim its 14th consecutive Ivy League title next weekend when it visits Penn and Princeton on Saturday, Feb. 13.
#4 Oklahoma State 32, #15 Cornell 12125: #5 Eddie Klimara (OSU) won by forfeit
133: #1
Nahshon Garrett (C) won by technical fall over #18 Gary wayne Harding (OSU), 17-1
141: #1 Dean Heil (OSU) won by major decision over
Mark Grey (C), 9-1
149: #13 Anthony Collica (OSU) won by fall over Joey Galasso (C), 2:44
157: #12
Dylan Palacio (C) won by decision over #6 Joe Smith (OSU), 8-4
165: #1 Alex Dieringer (OSU) won by fall over #15
Duke Pickett (C), 1:18
174: #6
Brian Realbuto (C) won by major decision over Chandler Rogers (OSU), 13-2
184: #16 Nolan Boyd (OSU) won by decision over #1
Gabe Dean (C), 14-9
197: Preston Weigel (OSU) won by decision over
Owen Scott (C), 2-0
285: #5 Austin Marsden (OSU) won by major decision over Jeramy Sweaney (C), 16-3
