Four Cowboys, One Sooner Advance To NCAA Finals

The Oklahoma State wrestling squad went four-for-four in the NCAA semifinals, with Josh Kindig (149), Alex Dieringer (157), Tyler Caldwell (165) and Chris Perry (174) earning the chance to wrestle for NCAA individual titles.

Oklahoma's Andrew Howe punched his ticket, as well, at 174 with a 6-3 victory.

OSU put itself in a position to compete for the team championship as it enters the final day in third place, trailing Penn State and Minnesota.

Also still alive in the tournament is redshirt sophomore and heavyweight Austin Marsden, who will wrestle for seventh on Saturday morning. Marsden secured his first All-America honor when he defeated JT Felix, 5-3, bringing Oklahoma State's All-American total to five.

Carrying a No. 11 seed all the way to the finals, Kindig became the first finalist for the Pokes, taking out No. 15 Mitchell Minotti of Lehigh with a 7-4 decision. Kindig, who is a first-time All-American, will face No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern in the 149-pound finals.

Sophomore and No. 3 seed Dieringer will face No. 9 Dylan Ness of Minnesota in Saturday's 157-pound finals. Dieringer earned the chance after he defeated No. 7 Brian Realbuto of Cornell in the semis, 7-4. Last year, Dieringer finished third in his first NCAA Championships appearance.

Senior and four-time All-American Caldwell earned a shot at the 165-pound national title when he defeated No. 3 Nick Sulzer of Virginia for the second time this season. The Wichita, Kan., native will see Penn State's David Taylor in the finals. Caldwell is making his second trip to the finals, with the first coming in 2011, while Taylor is a four-time finalist and 2012 national champ.

Top-seed and defending national champion Perry will make his second-straight NCAA finals appearance on Saturday night in Chesapeake Energy Arena, taking on in-state rival and 2010 165-pound national champion Andrew Howe of Oklahoma at 174 pounds.

With a 6-3 decision in his semifinals bout, OU's Howe punched his ticket to the 174-pound finals at the 2014 NCAA Championships inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, as well.

OU's Howe secured All-America honors with a 6-3 decision in his semifinals bout against Minnesota's Logan Storley.

Cody Brewer and Kendric Maple also locked up All-American honors for the Sooners. OU's three All-Americans is the most since it also had three in 2011 and the fifth straight year that at least two Sooners have earned the recognition.

As a team, the Sooners sit in ninth place with 45 points.

Tournament action will continue Saturday morning at 10 a.m. CT in Chesapeake Energy Arena. The finals can be watched on ESPN, beginning at 7 p.m.

Team Standings

1. Penn State – 91 points

2. Minnesota – 90.5 points

3. Oklahoma State – 87.5 points

4. Iowa – 67 points

5. Ohio State – 52 points

9. OU - 45 points