Lightner claimed the national title in 2001 for the Sooners and was crowned Big 12 champion four times at 141 pounds. The four year letterman also helped guide the Sooners to their 23rd conference title in 2001. The Marlow, Okla., native became a four-time All-American, an honor only nine others in school history have claimed.

Since leaving OU, Lightner has continued his wrestling career. He was an All-World team member in 2005 and recently competed at the U.S. Olympic trials.

“Michael is one of the great Sooner wrestlers in the history of this program,” Spates said. “His passion for OU and his dedication to our current team will make him a tremendous addition to our staff.”

Lightner can be found in various OU records, including second in career wins with a 144-16 record. His 37-0 record his senior season led him to the national title and he became the 13th Sooner to go undefeated in a season.

“I am excited to help out in any way I can,” Lightner said. “The OU program helped me achieve a lot of goals and I am excited to give back and help the current team achieve theirs.”

The four-time Sooner All-American downed Kazakhstan’s Yemar Ramazanov 1-2, 5-0, 5-0 in the 55 kg/121 pound finals.

“Sam continues to represent this university in a great way and we are very proud of his recent accomplishments,” head coach Jack Spates said. “It is always great to see past Sooners win championships on such a big stage.”

The Pensacola, Fla., native is third all-time at OU in career wins with a 132-10 record and is ninth in pins with 33.

It has been a busy summer for Hazewinkel, as he placed second at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev., in June.

The No. 19 Oklahoma (14-5 on the season) squad is coming off of a fifth place finish at the Big 12 Championships.

“It is a brand new season,” head coach Jack Spates said. “Anything is possible in the postseason and good things happen if we continue to wrestle hard.”

OU is lead into the championships by No. 5 Joshua Weitzel at 184 pounds and No. 10 Joel Flaggert, a two-time All-American, at 197 pounds. The senior duo, along with No. 17 Will Rowe at 149 pounds, are making their third trip to the NCAA’s.

“There is no question the experiences those three have from previous trips will benefit them this week,” Spates said.

Two other Sooners advancing to the national tournament are No. 15 true-freshman Joey Fio (125 pounds) and No. 16 redshirt freshman Zack Bailey (141 pounds). It marks the first career NCAA appearance for both.

Weitzel placed second at the Big 12’s to advance, running his season record total to 24-3. Fio, Bailey and Rowe each placed third to qualify automatically and Flaggert was chosen as a wild care selection by league coaches.

Tickets to the championships are still available by calling toll-free (866) 646-8849.

-OU-

The Basics
  The No. 3 Oklahoma State wrestling team (16-2-1 overall) puts a cap on the 2008 regular season when it travels to Norman to face No. 17 Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Thursday in McCasland Fieldhouse.

Ticket Information
  A limited number of tickets remain for Thursday’s Bedlam Series dual at a cost of $10 for general admission. Contact the Oklahoma ticket office at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free (800) 456-GoOU.

The Most Lopsided Rivalry In College Sports
  Oklahoma State has a 100-win advantage in its all-time wrestling series with Oklahoma, making the Bedlam Series wrestling rivalry the most lopsided rivalry in all of college sports. No other school in the country claims a 100-win advantage over a single opponent in any sport.

Series Capsule – Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma
Series Record: OSU leads, 124-24-9
In Stillwater: OSU leads, 67-12-2
In Norman: OSU leads, 54-12-7
At Neutral: OSU leads, 3-0-0
Under John Smith: OSU leads, 33-3-2
Under Jack Spates: OSU leads, 29-3-2
Current Streak: OSU has won last 19 and is unbeaten in last 27
Last OSU Win: OSU 21, Oklahoma 9 (Dec. 2, 2007)
Last OU Win: Oklahoma 19, OSU 18 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Last Meeting vs. Oklahoma -Dec. 2, 2007 (OSU 21, OU 9)
125 – Ben Ashmore (OSU) dec. Joey Fio (OU): 6-0
133 – No.2 Coleman Scott (OSU) dec. Brian Shelton (OU):1-0
141 – No. 4 Nathan Morgan (OSU) dec. No. 15 Zack Bailey (OU): 9-4
149 – No. 9 Will Rowe (OU) dec. Quinten Fuentes (OSU): 10-4
157 – Newly McSpadden (OSU) dec. Chad Terry (OU): 6-1
165 – Jake Dieffenbach (OSU) dec. No. 16 Max Dean (OU): 3-2
174 – No. 5 Brandon Mason (OSU) dec. Jeff James (OU): 5-0
184 – No. 11 Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Cody Hill (OSU): 3-2
197 – No. 9 Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. Clayton Foster (OSU): 12-10
285 – No. 10 Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. No. 20 Nathan Fernandez (OU):6-3

Cowboys Look To Match Longest Streak In Series History
  Oklahoma State has won each of its last last 19 duals against Oklahoma and hasn’t lost to the Sooners since 1995. Should the Cowboys extend their winning streak over OU to 20, it would match the longest winning streak in the history of the Bedlam Series. OSU won 20 consecutive over Oklahoma from 1969 through 1979.

Career Head-to-Head Meetings
133 pounds: Coleman Scott (OSU) vs. Brian Shelton (OU)
12/3/06 – Scott maj. dec. Shelton, 11-0
2/11/07 – Scott maj. dec. Shelton, 17-4
3/3/07 – Scott maj. dec. Shelton, 11-1
12/2/07 – Scott dec. Shelton, 1-0

141 pounds: Nathan Morgan (OSU) vs. Zack Bailey (OU)
12/2/07 – Morgan dec. Bailey, 9-4

157 pounds: Newly McSpadden (OSU) vs. Chad Terry (OU)
12/2/07 – McSpadden dec. Terry, 6-1

165 pounds: Jake Dieffenbach (OSU) vs. Max Dean (OU)
12/2/07 – Dieffenbach dec. Dean, 3-2

184 pounds: Jack Jensen (OSU) vs. Joshua Weitzel (OU)
11/24/07 – Weitzel dec. Jensen, 2-1

197 pounds: Clayton Foster (OSU) vs. Joel Flaggert (OU)
12/2/07 – Flaggert dec. Foster, 12-10

285 pounds: Jared Rosholt (OSU) vs. Nathan Fernandez (OU)
12/2/07 – Rosholt dec. Fernandez (6-3)

A limited number of tickets remain for Thursday’s dual at a cost of $10 for general admission. Contact the Oklahoma ticket office at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free (800) 456-GoOU.

Oklahoma State has won each of its last 19 duals against Oklahoma and hasn’t lost to the Sooners since 1995. Should the Cowboys extend their winning streak over OU to 20, it would match the longest winning streak in the history of the Bedlam Series. OSU won 20 consecutive over Oklahoma from 1969 through 1979.

“Our team is really excited about the Bedlam match this Thursday,” head coach Jack Spates said. “We are looking forward to a great matchup and a great crowd at the Field House.”

Oklahoma State (16-2-1, 2-1-1 in Big 12) prevailed in the previous matchup between the in-state rivals on Dec. 2. Winning seven of 10 matches, the Cowboys defeated the Sooners 21-9 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.

The rivalry rematch is scheduled to be televised live to the state of Oklahoma by Cox (Channel 7 in Oklahoma City), with Toby Rowland and Ryan Schafer providing coverage.

Oklahoma (13-5 overall, 0-4 in Big 12) is coming off an impressive victory over the Cal Poly Mustangs last Friday night in the first annual “Beauty and the Beast” event at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. Oklahoma won eight of 10 individual matches in route to a 32-9 stampede of the Mustangs.

Six Sooners are ranked nationally this week headed into Thursday’s match. Joey Fio, Will Rowe and Chad Terry are ranked No. 17 at 125, 149 and 157 pounds, respectively. Redshirt freshman Zack Bailey is No. 16 at 141 pounds and Joshua Weitzel is No. 6 at 184 pounds. Two-time All-American Joel Flaggert rounds out the list at No. 9 at 197 pounds.

Oklahoma State boasts seven ranked wrestlers in its lineup, headed by No. 1 ranked Coleman Scott at 133 pounds. Two others ranked in the top five are No. 3 Nathan Morgan at 141 pounds and 165 pound Jake Dieffenbach, ranked fifth. Tyler Shinn is No. 14 at 125 pounds and Newly McSpadden is ranked No. 20 at 165 pounds. Brandon Mason at 174 pounds and heavyweight Jared Rosholt are both No. 8.

“Our team has had tremendous outings the past two duals,” Spates said. “We have been extremely aggressive and have wrestled hard, and that is what it will take versus Oklahoma State. It is time for us to build upon our improvements this season and step up against the Cowboys.”

Tickets are still available by calling the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (405) 325-2424 or 800-456-GoOU. Reserved tickets for the dual are $15, while general admission is $10. Group rates are also available. The first 500 fans entering Thursday’s match will receive free pom-poms courtesy of the marketing department.

After Thursday’s match, both teams will set their sights on the Big 12 Championships, hosted this year by Oklahoma State on Saturday, March 8 in Stillwater.

SCOUTING THE COWBOYS
The No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys head into Thursday’s Bedlam match with a 16-2-1 overall record, and a 2-1-1 tally in the Big 12. They have outscored opponents 524-191 on the season and most recently knocked off Cal Poly by a 36-6 final score last Saturday on senior day in Stillwater.

OSU, 7-2-1 against Top 25 competition this season, is anchored by three Top 5 nationally ranked senior wrestlers in Coleman Scott (133 pounds), Nathan Morgan (141 pounds) and Jake Dieffenbach (165 pounds). The trio has a combined overall record of 73-9 on the season. The Cowboys also look to be prepped for the future, with three sophomores and a junior also ranked among the nation’s elite.

Arguably the most memorable win on the season for the Cowboys came on Jan. 5 when they knocked off No. 1 Iowa on the road. Ranked No. 6 at the time, Oklahoma State took six individual victories in route to a 19-14 win. The team also started off the month of February with an impressive victory over No. 4 Iowa State, and head into Norman winning their last six matches.

The Cowboy’s two Big 12 victories have come against the Sooners earlier in the season (Dec. 2) and by edging Iowa State, 16-15, on Jan. 27. Nebraska gave OSU its lone loss on the season in a 22-13 decision on Jan. 20, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. The tie occurred on Jan. 19, when the Cowboys and the Missouri Tigers were deadlocked at 16 after ten bouts in Columbia, Mo.

Oklahoma State, winner of four of the past five national championships, is aiming for its 35th title this season under the winningest head coach in the school’s history, John Smith.

RECAPPING LAST BEDLAM MATCH
Then-ranked No. 21 Oklahoma was defeated by No. 3 Oklahoma State by a 21-9 final tally in Stillwater, Okla., on Dec. 2. The two teams came into the match with 4-0 overall records and the matchup marked the opening Big 12 dual for both squads.

The Sooners put themselves in a hole early, falling behind 9-0 after the opening three bouts and were never able to recover. Six Sooners in the starting lineup competed in their first Big 12 bout versus OSU (Fio-125 pounds, Bailey-141 pounds, C. Terry-157 pounds, Dean-165 pounds, James-174 pounds and Fernandez-HWT).

Three of OU’s upper-classmen posted victories for the Sooners. Will Rowe (149 pounds) posted a 10-4 decision over Quinten Fuentes and OU’s Josh Weitzel won his match at 184 pounds by a 3-2 decision over Cody Hill. Senior Joel Flaggert also picked up a Big 12 victory over Clayton Foster in the 197 pound bout by posting a 12-10 decision.

The squad will share the floor with the OU women’s gymnastics team who will simultaneously compete against Big 12 rival Iowa State in the dual-team event.

OU wrestlers (12-5, 0-4 in Big 12) are coming off a tough 21-9 defeat in Lincoln last Sunday against No. 2 Nebraska. All was not lost versus the Huskers, as freshman Joey Fio uspet No. 4 ranked and defending national champion Paul Donahoe. Fio was awarded Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, his first career conference award and the first freshman to receive the honor this season.

“Despite losses, I think our team can use last weekend’s duals as building blocks for the rest of the season,” head coach Jack Spates said. “I was pleased with our fight and aggressiveness versus Nebraska. Our team needs to step up this Friday and get a victory.”

This is the 34th meeting between the two schools, with OU leading the all-time series by a 28-3-2 margin. Last season, Oklahoma prevailed on Dec. 9, 2006, by a 31-7 final in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Only two current Sooners (Will Rowe and Joshua Weitzel) recorded individual wins in the victory versus the Mustangs.

Oklahoma has six nationally ranked wrestlers heading into the Friday showdown, including No. 17 Joey Fio at 125 pounds, his first career national ranking. Zack Bailey and Chad Terry are ranked No. 16 at 141 and 157 pounds respectively, and Will Rowe is No. 17 at 149 pounds. Seniors Joshua Weitzel (No. 6) and Joel Flaggert (No. 9) remain in the Top 10 at 184 and 197 pounds.

Cal Poly is headed by No. 1 ranked and undefeated Chad Mendes at 141 pounds (21-0), along with Chase Pami who is No. 14 at 157 pounds.

“This is going to be a great event for Oklahoma fans,” Spates said. “We encourage all Sooners to come out and support these two premiere programs in their respective sports.”

The first 500 fans arriving Friday will receive an event T-shirt, and raffle prizes will be awarded throughout the evening.

Both teams will also take part in an autograph session at the conclusion of the event. Tickets are $5 for children and $7 for adults. Admission is free for OU students with a valid student I.D.

The match versus the Mustangs is the final non-conference dual for the Sooners this season. Oklahoma will resume Big 12 conference competition when it hosts arch-rival Oklahoma State next Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Howard McCasland Field House at 7 p.m.

 The conference honor is the first for the Sandpoint, Idaho, native, and the first by a Sooner this season. The 125-pounder is also the lone freshman in the conference to garner the award this year.

“True-freshmen that start usually go through a challenging transition, and Joey is no different,” head coach Jack Spates said. “His hard work and persistence were rewarded last weekend with two huge victories. This award is well-deserved and we are very proud of him.”

Fio posted an 11-2 major decision over John Olanowski of No. 12 ranked Missouri last Friday, which gave him his 10th dual win this season. He followed up with a stunning upset victory in Lincoln on Sunday by defeating Donahoe of the No. 2 ranked Huskers. After being down 4-3 to begin the third period, Fio scored a takedown and an escape to win by decision, 6-5.

The win over the Husker was Fio’s second this season against a Top 10 opponent. He defeated then-No. 9 ranked Javier Madonado of UT-Chattanooga on Jan. 18.

After the successful weekend, the freshman now ranks second on the team with 48 takedowns in dual competition.

The wins propel him to a 17-7 overall record and an 11-4 dual record, including a fourth place finish at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic and runner-up finish at the Oklahoma Open.

The Sooners resume competition this Friday, Feb. 15, at the Lloyd Noble Center when they host Cal Poly at 7 p.m. The squad will share the floor with the OU women’s gymnastics team in the first “Beauty and the Best” event.

The first 500 fans arriving Friday will receive an event T-shirt, and raffle prizes will be awarded throughout the evening. Both teams will also take part in an autograph session at the conclusion of the event.

Tickets are $5 for children and $7 for adults. Admission is free for OU students with a valid student I.D.

The matchup against the Tigers (7-3-1, 0-1-1 in Big 12) is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., and the dual versus the Cornhuskers (11-2, 2-0 in Big 12) will begin at 2 p.m.

“We are headed back into the battlefield,” head coach Jack Spates said. “The Big 12 is the toughest conference in the nation and we are going to have to be hitting on all cylinders this weekend.”

Oklahoma is coming off an impressive beating of the Sun Devils of Arizona State last Friday night in Norman by a 31-9 final. After losing the first two matches, OU reeled off eight straight victories and 31 unanswered points to take the win. The 12 wins on the season surpass the overall win total of last year’s campaign (11 wins).

The Sooners boast a season-high seven wrestlers ranked in the Top 20 this week, led by seniors Joshua Weitzel at 184 pounds (No. 6) and Joel Flaggert at 197 pounds (No. 5). Zack Bailey is ranked No. 15 at 141 pounds and Brian Shelton and Will Rowe are No. 13 at 133 and 149 pounds, respectively. Chad Terry at 157 pounds and Max Dean at 165 pounds are both ranked 20th.

Nick Marable leads the Tigers, ranked No. 2 at 165 pounds. Raymond Jordan at 184 pounds is ranked No. 5 and Max Askren is No. 9 at 197 pounds. Mark Ellis at heavyweight (No. 11), 125-pounder Michael Chandler (No. 14) and Josh Wagner at 149 pounds (No. 16) are also ranked among the nation’s elite.

Nebraska also has seven ranked in this week’s poll, including five in the Top 10. Leaders for the Cornhuskers are Paul Donahoe at 125 pounds (No. 4), Brandon Browne at 175 pounds (No. 5) and 149-pounder Jordan Burroughs (No. 7). Kenny Jordan at 133 pounds and Vince Jones at 184 pounds are both No. 9. Stephen Dwyer is No. 10 at 165 pounds and Chris Oliver is No. 16 at 157 pounds.

“These matches are what we have been training for and our team is eager to compete,” Spates said. “It is definitely time for our guys to step up this weekend on the road.”

Reserved tickets for the OU-OSU dual scheduled for 7 p.m. are $15, while general admission tickets are $10. Group rates are also available. To purchase, please contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 405-325-2424 or 800-456-GoOU. Admission is free for OU students with a valid student I.D.

The match between the in-state rivals will mark the second meeting of the year. The Cowboys defeated the Sooners by a 21-9 final tally on Dec. 2.

“Bedlam is always a special and exciting match in the state of Oklahoma,” head coach Jack Spates said. “We encourage fans to buy tickets and come out and support the Sooners against an extremely talented OSU squad later this month.”

The Sooners (11-3, 0-2 in Big 12) are back in action tonight at the Field House when they host Arizona State (9-4) at 7 p.m.