OSU's Watterson Narrowly Falls to Defending National Champion

As a team, Oregon State is 23rd with 18.5 points.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

Auburn Hills, Mich. - Oregon State heavyweight Ty Watterson used a takedown in the closing seconds to beat Dustin Fox of Northwestern 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships on Friday morning at the Palace of Auburn Hills, but lost in the evening semifinals to defending national champion Cole Konrad of Minnesota 2-1.

Watterson, who will wrestle two matches Saturday, can finish as high as third place with two wins, and no lower than sixth.

He will be OSU’s first All-American since Nathan Coy finished fourth at 174 pounds in 2002, and was the first Beaver to reach the semifinals since Les Gutches in 1996.

Konrad, who won for the 75th consecutive time, clinched the match on riding time.

Both wrestlers scored one points on escapes, Watterson in the second and Konrad to begin the third.

In Friday’s first match, Watterson and Fox went through a scoreless first period; Watterson chose the down position and escaped to begin the second period and Fox chose down and escaped to begin the third period.

With five seconds remaining in the match, Watterson got behind Fox and scored the winning takedown.

OSU 174-pounder Jeremy Larson, the other Beaver to reach the quarterfinals, was beaten by Oklahoma State’s Brandon Mason on Friday morning.

Larson then fell to Central Michigan Brandon Sinnott 3-1 in the fourth round of wrestlebacks on Friday evening.

Larson had a 1-0 lead until just three seconds left in the second period before giving up a critical takedown.

Sinnott added an escape in the third round for the final margin.

Larson ended the tournament one win shy of earning All-America status.

OSU 125-pounder Eric Stevenson and 197-pounder Travis Gardner were knocked out of the wrestleback bracket with losses on Friday morning.

Stevenson was beaten by Mark Knight of Penn State, 6-3, while Gardner lost to Jason Trulson of Arizona State, 7-3.

You can follow Watterson’s matches tomorrow at ncaasports.com.

As a team, Oregon State is 23rd with 18.5 points, while Minnesota leads at 66 points and Iowa State is second at 62.5.

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