Cowboys Close 2023 with Trip to Wyoming

The Basics
The Oklahoma State wrestling team (3-0 overall; 1-0 Big 12) will hit the road once again for its final test of the 2023 calendar year, traveling to Laramie for a meeting with Wyoming on Dec. 19. The Cowboys are coming off a big weekend in which they defeated a pair of ranked opponents in No. 20 Lehigh and in-state rival No. 18 Oklahoma. Following the matchup with Wyoming, Oklahoma State will have nearly three weeks off from dual action before returning on Jan. 5 against NC State.

On the Air
Streaming options for Oklahoma State's dual with Wyoming on Tuesday will be available on FloWrestling, while the Mountain West Network will also provide a free stream of the action. The dual can also be heard on the radio, with Rex Holt providing coverage on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live results from Tuesday's dual will be provided on TrackWrestling.com.

The Series
Oklahoma State and Wyoming have met 27 times over the years, with OSU holding a 26-0-1 record in the all-time series. The two programs have wrestled every season since the 2011-12 campaign, except for the shortened COVID season in 2020, although Wyoming did compete in the Cowboy Challenge Tournament in Stillwater that year. The first contest took place in 1956 in Stillwater, where OSU topped Wyoming, 21-3. The lone dual Oklahoma State did not take over Wyoming was a tie in the second all-time meeting the very next year. Last season, OSU downed Wyoming, 34-3, in its home opener at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Cowboy returners Daton Fix, Dustin Plott, Luke Surber and Konner Doucet all picked up wins in the contest, including a first-period fall from Fix for his 75th career win. The series now returns to Laramie, where OSU is 10-0-1 and last beat Wyoming on the road in December of 2021.

Former Cowboy wrestler and current Wyoming head coach Mark Branch has never beaten his alma mater in 15 tries, but has kept the contest competitive throughout his tenure. Branch spent six seasons as associate head coach in Stillwater following a successful collegiate career in which he was a four-time NCAA finalist and two-time champion. John Smith holds an impressive 23-1 record in head-to-head matchups with his former wrestlers.

About the Cowboys
Oklahoma State broke into the top-10 of the NWCA Coaches Poll for the first time this season in the poll released Tuesday, landing at No. 9 in the country. The Cowboys moved to 3-0 on the season after claiming a pair of ranked victories over No. 20 Lehigh and No. 18 Oklahoma last weekend.

Returning All-Americans and Big 12 champions Daton Fix and Dustin Plott lead the Cowboy lineup alongside Izzak Olejnik, who was an All-American at 165 pounds last season at Northern Illinois. Daton Fix is a four-time All-American, while Dustin Plott has earned the honor in each of the past two seasons. The OSU lineup has seen some movement from a year ago due to departures and weight changes from past starters, opening opportunities for a number of talented newcomers. Izzak Olejnik has competed his way into the national spotlight after winning a the loaded 165-pound bracket at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and moving up to No. 2 in the nation in multiple polls. He, along with Fix and Plott, are all ranked in the top-3 of their respective weight classes. Minnesota transfers Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison have impressed early in their Cowboy careers. Spratley went 2-0 against the Mountain Hawks and Sooners, while Jamison's strong showing in Las Vegas has him ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation at 141 pounds. Dustin Plott's weight change allows room for standout freshman Brayden Thompson to move into the 174-pound role, while Jordan Williams looks to secure the 149-pound job after redshirting a season ago. At the backend of the lineup, 197-pounder Luke Surber and heavyweight Konner Doucet round out the squad for the second straight season. Both wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2023 and are each hovering right around the top-10 mark in various polls.

Cowboys in the Polls
For the first time since early November, Oklahoma State's lineup features a ranked wrestler at all ten weight classes. Strong showings by Teague Travis and Brayden Thompson lifted them both into Intermat's most recent poll at No. 25 and No. 28, respectively, while WIN Magazine ranks half of the Cowboy lineup in its top-10. Tagen Jamison has seen the biggest rise in the polls thus far, jumping into the top-10 in
every ranking and placing as high as No. 6 at 141 pounds. Daton Fix maintains his top spot at 133 pounds according to The Open Mat, while Izzak Olejnik sits at No. 2 in the country across multiple outlets.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Make Oklahoma State 4-0 overall; 2-0 in Big 12 duals
• Give John Smith 480 wins as head coach, 12 shy of Harold Nichols for second-most all-time
• Improve Oklahoma State's record against Wyoming to 27-0-1 and 11-0-1 in Laramie
• Make John Smith a perfect 20-0 as head coach against Wyoming
• Make Oklahoma State 9-1 in its last 10 duals
• Mark Oklahoma State's 20th time finishing the fall semester undefeated under John Smith
• Improve John Smith's coaching record in head-to-head matchups with former wrestlers to 24-1

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Players Mentioned

Konner Doucet

Daton Fix

Tagen Jamison

Izzak Olejnik

Dustin Plott

Troy Spratley

Luke Surber

Brayden Thompson

Teague Travis

Jordan Williams

Oklahoma State University Athletics