Cowboys Return Home for Ranked Matchup with Oregon State

The Basics
The fifth-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team (7-0 overall; 3-0 Big 12) finally returns home to Gallagher-Iba Arena for a matchup with No. 16 Oregon State on Sunday, January 21. The Cowboys have opened the season with seven straight dual wins, including the last five all coming on the road. Last weekend, Oklahoma State traveled east and handled No. 15 Pittsburgh, 31-6, and No. 20 West Virginia, 29-9, for its fourth and fifth wins over ranked opponents this season. The Cowboys controlled both duals, winning 15 of 20 matches throughout the weekend, three of which coming against top-10 wrestlers. Sunday marks the beginning of a loaded home slate over the next six weeks, as the Pokes are set to host seven ranked teams in Stillwater before postseason action.

On the Air
Oklahoma State's dual against the Beavers on Sunday will be available for streaming on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with J. Carl Guymon and Hardell Moore on the call. The dual can also be heard on the radio as Rex Holt provides coverage on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live stats and results will be provided on both StatBroadcast.com and TrackWrestling.com.

The Series
Sunday's meeting between Oklahoma State and Oregon State will be the 23rd dual matchup in the all-time series, with the Cowboys taking each of the previous 22 renditions. The first contest took place in 1961 in Corvallis, where the Cowboys topped the Beavers, 20-5. The two programs have met a dozen total times in Stillwater, the latest coming on January 10, 2021, as Oklahoma State picked up a 29-8 victory. In the series' most recent matchup, the Cowboys pulled out a tight 20-12 win in Corvallis last January. Trailing 12-7 heading into the final four bouts, late wins by returners Konner Doucet, Daton Fix and Carter Young turned the tide and pushed OSU ahead to claim the dual.

Former Cowboy wrestler Chris Pendleton is winless in two tries against his former school as a head coach. John Smith holds an impressive 25-1 record in head-to-head matchups against his former wrestlers, and has already defeated alums Mark Branch of Wyoming and Pat Popolizio of NC State earlier this season. Pendleton graduated from Oklahoma State in 2006 as a two-time NCAA champion and three-time All-American.

About the Cowboys
Oklahoma State sits in the top-five of the NWCA Coaches poll for the second week in a row after picking up two more ranked wins against No. 15 Pittsburgh and No. 20 West Virginia last weekend. The Cowboys are now 7-0 with five victories over ranked opponents and finally return to Stillwater for their first dual inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in over a month. OSU has won eight of its past nine duals against ranked opponents and is 12-1 in its past 13 duals overall.

Returning All-Americans and Big 12 champions Daton Fix and Dustin Plott lead the Cowboy lineup alongside Izzak Olejnik, who finished eighth at 165 pounds last season at Nothern Illinois. The trio has impressed throughout Oklahoma State's 7-0 start to the season, each climbing into the top-three of their respective weight classes according to FloWrestling and combining for a 38-2 record. Despite dropping his first match of the season last weekend, Olejnik still boasts a record of 16-1 and has beaten three opponents ranked in the top-10. Meanwhile, Plott has won 10 straight matches and unloaded for bonus points a team-high 15 times this season.

Newcomers Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison have provided a much-needed spark at the lower weights around Fix. Spratley is 13-3 at 125 pounds and now sits just outside the top-10 at No. 11 in FloWrestling's latest poll, while Jamison is currently a consensus top-seven wrestler at 141 pounds and owns four top-10 wins. At 149 pounds, Sammy Alvarez made his Cowboy debut last Friday against the Panthers and defeated No. 26 Finn Solomon by major decision, 14-4. Teague Travis has been a key piece in the Cowboy lineup at 157 pounds, compiling a 12-1 record and winning his match in all seven duals thus far. Plott's weight change to 184 pounds has allowed room for standout freshman Brayden Thompson to take on the 174-pound role, in which he has won five of his last six matches. Rounding out the lineup, Konner Doucet has put together a solid junior season at 12-2 with a pair of wins over top-10 foes, including a 3-0 decision over No. 9 Dayton Pitzer of Pittsburgh last weekend. For his efforts, Doucet is ranked as high as No. 8 in the country according to The Open Mat and in the top-10 of multiple polls.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Make OSU 8-0 overall; 6-0 against ranked opponents; 3-0 at home
• Give John Smith 484 wins as head coach, eight shy of Harold Nichols for second-most all-time
• Improve OSU's record against Oregon State to 23-0 and 13-0 in Stillwater
• Make OSU 13-1 in its last 14 duals
• Make OSU 9-1 in its last 10 duals against ranked opponents
• Improve John Smith's record in head-to-head matchups with his former wrestlers to 26-1
• Improve John Smith's record against Oregon State to 15-0

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sammy Alvarez

Konner Doucet

Daton Fix

Tagen Jamison

Izzak Olejnik

Dustin Plott

Troy Spratley

Brayden Thompson

Teague Travis

Carter Young

Oklahoma State University Athletics