Football
Associated Press 20y

Cowboys win one of three finals

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Gentry gave Stanford its first-ever champion and Jesse Jantzen became the first Harvard winner since 1938, while Oklahoma State wrapped up its second straight title in the NCAA wrestling championships Saturday night.

The Cowboys won one of three finals, their only
less-than-dominating day, but entered the championship round with a
41½-point lead and won by that margin for their 32nd title.

Chris Pendleton beat Ben Askren of Missouri, the only freshman
in the finals, 11-4 at 174 pounds.

"A lot of people wanted to see us fall," Pendleton said. "We
just had to come out and earn it."

Pendleton wrestled right after top-seeded Tyrone Lewis was upset
5-2 by second-seeded Troy Letters of Lehigh at 165 pounds. Pendleton avenged his only loss of the season in the Big 12 championships to
Askren.

"It breaks my heart to see a guy like Tyrone not win the
national title when he's the best wrestler, hands down, in college
wrestling," Pendleton said. "I just had to put it out of my mind
and focus on my match."

Iowa was a distant second with 82 points. Lehigh and Ohio State
tied for third at 77½, Nebraska was fifth at 74. Ten schools won
one individual championship apiece.

Greg Jones of West Virginia (184), Damion Hahn (197) of Minnesota and heavyweight Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State each won their second
championship.

Jantzen (38-1), the top seed at 149, is a sociology major and
Gentry (41-0) is in pre-medicine. Both put their brains to use on
the mat.

Gentry decisioned Jake Percival of Ohio 4-2 in the only finals
matchup pairing unbeaten wrestlers. He had already made history
before the victory, because Stanford had never before had a
finalist, and beat Percival (38-1) for the second time this season.

"My athletics helps my academics and my academics helps my
athletics," Gentry said. "It gives me focus, desire and a good
work ethic.

"It's quite an honor. Go Cardinal!"

John Harkness, the only other Harvard champion, watched from the
third row. Jantzen gave Harkness a nod and a wave after decisioning
second-seeded Zack Esposito of Oklahoma 11-4.

"It's incredible and it's a big relief," Jantzen said. "It's
been a goal of mine since my freshman year, and if you set your
mind to it, you can do it."

Jones (26-0) also finished unbeaten with a 10-5 decision over
Ben Heizer of Northern Illinois at 184. Jones won at 174 two years
ago but did not place last year at that weight class before moving
up.

Oklahoma State also got third-place finishes from Johnny
Thompson at 133 and Jake Rosholt at 184, a fifth from Johnny
Hendricks at 157 and a seventh from heavyweight Will Gruenwald
earlier Saturday to win consecutive championships for the first
time since 1989-90.

At 125, top-seeded Jason Powell (26-2) became the first Nebraska
champion since 1995 with a technical fall in the second period over
fifth-seed Kyle Ott of Illinois. Powell, who finished third last
year, ran up a 17-2 lead after Ott got an early takedown.

"It's the best possible way to go out," Powell said. "I have
to say it was the very best match I've ever had."

Zach Roberson of Iowa State continued the momentum from a
semifinal upset of top seed Travis Lee of Cornell at 133, beating Josh Moore of Penn State 7-3.

Iowa got a winner at 141, clinching second place, when Cliff
Moore decisioned Matt Murray of Nebraska 5-2 in a mostly defensive
struggle matching the fifth and seventh seeds. Moore also beat the
top seed in the semifinals, ending an unbeaten season for
Virginia's Scott Moore.

Moore finished third with a 50-1 record and 34 pins.

Hahn, the defending champion and top seed at 197, decisioned
10th-seeded Ryan Fulsaas of Iowa 6-2. Fulsaas the lowest seed in
the finals, has a 58-43-11 career record.

Hahn is the third two-time winner in school history, and one of
those he joins is professional wrestler Verne Gagne (1948-49).

In a rematch of the Big Ten championship, Rowlands decisioned
Pat Cummins of Penn State 6-2 at heavyweight. Rowlands won in 2002
and finished sixth last year after an injury.

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