Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Stanford
Cowboys Return Home to Host Stanford on Sunday
February 11, 2023 | Cowboy Wrestling
Full Notes (PDF)
The Basics
The No. 7 Oklahoma State wrestling team (12-2 overall; 7-1 Big 12) returns home to host Stanford for the second time ever in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. In their last time out, the Cowboys defeated No. 16 South Dakota State in Brookings on Friday night, 19-12.
On the Air
Oklahoma State's dual with Stanford 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 1:30 p.m. Live stats for the match can be found on Trackwrestling.com.
The Series - Stanford
Oklahoma State and Stanford have met only twice in the programs' histories, with the Cowboys coming out on top in both matches. The first match took place on Feb. 14, 2016 in Gallagher-Iba Arena, which resulted in a 41-0 rout for Oklahoma State. Last season, the Pokes wrestled at Stanford's Maples Pavilion for the first time and left with a 29-7 victory to open the 2021-22 season and give John Smith his 450th dual win as head coach. Although only in his second year at Stanford, head coach Rob Koll is 0-6 all-time against Oklahoma State, dating back to his time at Cornell.
About the Cowboys
No. 7 Oklahoma State is 12-2 on the season coming off three consecutive ranked wins, including a 19-12 road victory against South Dakota State on Friday night that handed the Jackrabbits their first conference loss of the season. 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 14-3, 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 is 13-7 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 15-5 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 13-2 overall, marking the 25th time OSU has won 13 duals in a season in 32 years under John Smith
• Make OSU 5-1 in home matches this season
• Improve OSU's and John Smith's record against Stanford to 3-0
• Improve OSU's all-time record against current Pac-12 schools to 109-4
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. 6 at 174 pounds after earning All-America honors for the first time last season with a sixth-place finish. Travis Wittlake makes his return to the top-10 at 184 pounds, holding 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 continues his rise after defeating No. 7 Allan Hart to make it five wins in a row, including three ranked wins. 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. 21 and No. 23 in Intermat's rankings this week, but are a few spots higher in other polls. Wyatt Sheets is ranked at No. 22 by FloWrestling at 165 pounds as he continues to navigate a gaunlet of a schedule to close out the regular season.
Players Mentioned
