The Basics
The Oklahoma State wrestling team will host No. 13 Minnesota on Dynasty Day at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. The Cowboys had a week off following a 34-3 victory over Wyoming on Nov. 18, which opened the home slate for OSU this season.
On the Air
The dual with Minnesota will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with J. Carl Guymon and Hardell Moore on the call. It can also be heard on the radio with Rex Holt Sunday afternoon beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live stats can be found on Trackwrestling.com.
The Series - Minnesota
Oklahoma State and Minnesota have met a total of 42 times since the first meeting in 1941, which was a 18-6 win for the Cowboys. OSU improved its record in the series to 28-14 after winning 23-10 in Minneapolis last season. OSU has won the last six duals with the Golden Gophers after Minnesota had won four of five matches from 2012 to 2014. The Cowboys hold an 11-6 advantage in the series when wrestling in Stillwater ahead of Sunday’s match.
About the Cowboys
Oklahoma State moved up one spot to No. 9 in the NWCA Coaches Poll following a 3-0 start to the season after defeating Wyoming in its home opener on Nov. 18. The Pokes return four All-Americans who have earned All-America honors a total of eight times, headlined by three-time NCAA finalist Daton Fix. Wyatt Sheets and Travis Wittlake are both two-time All-Americans for OSU, while Dustin Plott is coming off of his first appearance on the podium last season. The OSU lineup has seen some movement from a season ago with weight changes from past starters opening opportunities at 165 pounds and heavyweight. Wittlake moved up two weight classes to 184 pounds in the offseason, while Luke Surber dropped down a weight to 197 pounds. In their places, Wyatt Sheets won his first three matches at 165 pounds, while Konner Doucet has started 3-0 as a Cowboy heavyweight. Trevor Mastrogiovanni returns for his third season in the lineup at 125 pounds as he looks to make the jump that Plott did a year ago to All-America status for the first time. Carter Young returns at 141 pounds where he went 12-9 as a true freshman, but should benefit from an offseason where he grew into the weight class. Talented freshman Victor Voinovich will start the season at 149 pounds, but could be challenged by reigning Big 12 champion Kaden Gfeller who decided to return to Oklahoma State for his final season in August. Kaden Gfeller got the starting nod at 157 pounds against Lehigh’s All-American Josh Humphreys, while Luke Mechler made his dual debut against Bucknell at the weight. Voinovich flashed potential while redshirting as a true freshman posting a 16-1 record and placing third at the Southern Scuffle. With Sheets and Gfeller back for their COVID seasons, the middleweights could see some different looks throughout the course of the season. Those two and Jalin Harper will be challenged by a group of Cowboys looking to break into the starting lineup for the first time, including Chance McLane, Travis Mastrogiovanni, Mechler and talented freshman Jordan Williams.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Move the Cowboys to 4-0 overall; 3-0 in nonconference duals
• Mark OSU’s second win over an opponent ranked in the NWCA Coaches Poll
• Move the all-time series record with Minnesota to 29-14 and 12-6 in Stillwater
• Mark OSU’s seventh straight win against the Golden Gophers
Cowboys in the Polls
Oklahoma State’s roster features 10 wrestlers ranked in various polls this week, with five holding spots inside the top-10. Senior 133-pounder Daton Fix is the consensus No. 2 wrestler at his weight and is the highest ranked Cowboy as the reigning Big 12 champion and a national finalist the last two seasons. Following Fix, Dustin Plott appears at No. 4 at 174 pounds after earning All-America honors for the first time last season with a sixth-place finish. Also making appearances in the top 10 of their respective weight classes are Trevor Mastrogiovanni, Kaden Gfeller and Travis Wittlake. Mastrogiovanni holds down the No. 7 spot ahead of a big-time matchup with No. 4 Patrick McKee, while Gfeller is ranked as high as No. 10 by Intermat at 157 pounds and also has an upcoming match with a highly ranked Golden Gopher. Wittlake has put together a 3-0 start at 184 pounds where he is ranked No. 9 by WIN Magazine. Wyatt Sheets is ranked as high as No. 16 at 165 pounds after a 3- 0 start with two ranked wins, while Victor Voinovich (149) is ranked No. 18 by Intermat. Luke Surber is ranked as high as No. 17 by WIN Magazine as he moves down to 197 pounds, while Konner Doucet lands at No. 16 in the Intermat rankings following his 3-0 start. Despite a 1-2 record to start the season, Carter Young remained in the Intermat rankings at No. 21 at 141 pounds.
