Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma Notes
The Basics
The No. 6 Oklahoma State wrestling team (11-2 overall; 6-1 Big 12) will look to close out the regular season strong against Oklahoma and No. 2 Iowa. The Cowboys will put a four-match win streak on the line when they host the second round of the Phillips 66 Bedlam series on Thursday at 7 p.m. before traveling to Iowa City for a bout with the second-ranked Hawkeyes on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. CT.
On the Air
Oklahoma State’s dual with Oklahoma will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with J. Carl Guymon and Hardell Moore on the call. It can also be heard on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM with Rex Holt going on air at 6:30 p.m. Live stats for the match can be found on Trackwrestling.com.
The Series - Oklahoma
The Bedlam dual series dates back to 1920, a bout that Oklahoma State won a staggering 50-0 in Stillwater. OSU leads the all-time rivalry series 148-27-10. Sunday’s dual marks the 186th time the two teams have met for dual competition. OSU has dominated the series of late as it has won the last 16 matches with the most recent win for the Sooners being a 16-15 win in Norman in 2013. In the first meeting this season, the Cowboys fell behind 12-4 before winning four of the final five bouts after intermission, including Luke Surber’s fall in the final match to give the Cowboys a 21-15 win in Norman. Oklahoma State holds an 81-12-2 advantage in Stillwater where they will wrestle on Thursday, and has won 22 straight home matches against the Sooners. John Smith has gone 55-6-3 against OU as head coach of the Cowboys, while Lou Rosselli is 0-11 against OSU since taking over the Sooner program in 2016.
About the Cowboys
No. 6 Oklahoma State is 13-2 on the season heading into the final weekend of the regular season in which it will host Oklahoma on Thursday before traveling to Iowa City to face the second-ranked Hawkeyes on Sunday. 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 where he is 15-3, while Luke Surber dropped down a weight to 197 pounds. In their places, Wyatt Sheets has filled the void at 165 pounds, while redshirt sophomore Konner Doucet has gone 14-7 as the starter at heavyweight and placed third at the Scuffle. Big 12 champion Kaden Gfeller decided to return to Oklahoma State for his final season in August and has put together a 16-5 record so far 157 pounds, while talented freshman Victor Voinovich has started every dual at 149 pounds. With Sheets and Gfeller back for their COVID seasons, the middleweights could see some different looks throughout the course of the season.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Move the Cowboys to 14-2 overall; 8-1 in conference duals
• Make the all-time series record 149-27-10; 82-12-2 in Stillwater
• Mark OSU’s 17th straight victory over Oklahoma; 23rd straight victory at home
• Move John Smith’s record to 55-6-3 against OU
Cowboys in the Polls
Oklahoma State’s roster features 10 wrestlers ranked in various polls this week, with four 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 as high as No. 7 at 174 pounds after earning All-America honors for the first time last season with a sixth-place finish. Travis Wittlake makes holds the No. 10 ranking in three of the four polls, while Kaden Gfeller (157) is back in the top-10 in Intermat’s poll after upsetting No. 8 Jarrett Jacques against Missouri. Carter Young holds steady at No. 15 at 141 pounds, while Luke Surber climbed up the rankings as high as No. 15 at 197 pounds after taking down No. 1 Rocky Elam in a vital upset in OSU’s win over Missouri. Victor Voinovich (149) and Konner Doucet (HWT) land at No. 20 and No. 22 in Intermat’s rankings this week, but are a few spots higher in other polls. Wyatt Sheets is ranked at No. 19 by FloWrestling at 165 pounds as he continues to navigate a gauntlet of a schedule to close out the regular season. At 125 pounds, Reece Witcraft made his first appearance in Intermat’s rankings where he sits at No. 28.
Two Cowboys Chasing the Century Mark
Cowboy seniors Daton Fix and Wyatt Sheets are both nearing 100 wins in their collegiate careers. The active leaders on Oklahoma State’s roster with 92 wins for Fix and 84 for Sheets, the century mark could be within reach toward the end of this season. Sheets elected to return to OSU for his COVID season, while Fix is one of the winningest wrestlers in program history based on winning percentage and still has another year of eligibility he could take advantage of. OSU has had 44 wrestlers reach the 100-win mark in their career, most recently accomplished by Nick Piccininni during the 2020 season.
