The Fall Guy: Azevedo’s pin powers ISU wrestlers

Wesley Griffin

The fourth-ranked Cyclones won a very close contest with the sixth-ranked Sooners of Oklahoma Friday night. In front of a crowd of 1,855 spectators, Iowa State won five of 10 matches, winning the dual 20-19.The match started off at 149 with the Sooners taking the lead with a technical fall by seventh-ranked Jared Frayer over Benjie Winegarden. Iowa State’s Cole Sanderson came up with another win with a decision of 8-5 to give the Cyclones three team points at 157.In a surprising upset, the Sooners seventh-ranked Robbie Waller defeated second-ranked Joe Heskett at 165 by a decision of 9-6.At 174, Perry Parks won with a decision of 8-2.”I think I did well,” Parks said. “Basically, I am trying to make improvements on last year. I did better; I didn’t get reversed and improved on mistakes I did last time.”Cael Sanderson won his 108th career match with a technical fall and gave the Cyclones the lead with 11-8. Zach Thompson won a close match, beating his opponent 2-1 and adding to the Cyclone lead.The Sooners won the next two matches and took the lead with 16-14. Then came the deciding match of the night.With time running out, Matt Azevedo at 133 pinned his opponent with one second left in the match.”Last time I wrestled my opponent, I was down by one point and got the takedown to win at the buzzer,” Azevedo said. “We needed the pin, so I tried to get it, though I knew it would be tough. All I wanted to do was settle in, tighten up and go for it. “It was definitely great to win and I thought that if I keep the pressure on I can win, that is the attitude and the way everyone on the team thinks.”In the last match, Iowa State’s Zach Roberson kept second-ranked Michael Lightner from getting a major decision and helped the team win a very close match.”This match was the same type of match that we had against them before. It was a terrific Big 12 match,” Coach Bobby Douglas said. “Cael performed masterfully, Matt [Azevedo] scored the fall and wrestled offensively and Matt Knauer did well performing under difficult circumstances. I was pleased with the results, but we have got work to do.”