POOL B GOLD BRACKET OKLAHOMA CITY – Coach
Johnny Cobb called it a “character test,” and the good news is his Wayland Baptist women's wrestling team passed, even if they didn't win every match.
“We certainly know we can stay with the best teams in the country,” Cobb said after the Pioneers finished in eighth place out of 16 teams in the Cliff Keen Oklahoma City Duals held Friday and Saturday at Oklahoma City University's Abe Lemons Arena.
No. 6 Wayland faced three of the top-ranked teams – four-time defending Women's College Wrestling Association national champion OCU, King (Tenn.) and Simon Fraser (B.C.) – over the weekend. The Pioneers lost all three, as well as a close battle in their final match to Cumberlands (Kent.), while winning two outings Friday.
“We definitely realize we have some work to do,” Cobb said.
At the same time, however, the coach is optimistic that his team has the skill, character and, now, the confidence to eventually be where it wants to be in the end.
“It looked kind of bad, but the scores were not indicative of how close some of those matches were,” Cobb said. “We did just fine.”
Especially considering the level of competition. OCU, for example, extended its unbeaten streak by the end of the weekend to 63 duals and 78-0-1.
Meanwhile, Wayland's short-handed roster, due to injuries and ineligible wrestlers, cost the Pioneers several forfeit points, which proved to be the difference in their bout for seventh place against Cumberlands.
“Everybody has the confidence that we can get there by the end of the season,” Cobb said.
Instilling further confidence for Cobb was the showing of sophomore Tamyia Mensah, who after defeating the 143-pound defending national champion from King, Tenn., on Friday took out the defending national runner-up from OCU on Saturday.
Wayland's next competition is at Missouri Valley on Nov. 11. Meanwhile, the WBU men's team will be at OCU for the Oklahoma City Open for a stiff competition of their own later this month. Cobb said that meet will feature top NCAA Division I and D-II teams.
“It will be a good test for the men just like this was for the women.”
