Cowboys Host Iowa in Regular Season Finale

The Basics
The No. 2 Oklahoma State wrestling team (14-0 overall; 8-0 Big 12) welcomes No. 4 Iowa to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday, February 25, for its final dual of the regular season. The Cowboys are looking to secure a perfect 15-0 record and the 48th undefeated season in program history. Oklahoma State has not hosted the Hawkeyes since 2019, which resulted in a resounding 27-12 victory by the second-ranked Cowboys. Just like that meeting five years ago, Gallagher-Iba Arena will once again hold a sellout crowd as two of college wrestling's premier programs battle on the mat.

On the Air
Oklahoma State's regular season finale against Iowa will be nationally televised on FS1 with Shane Sparks and Hardell Moore on the call. It marks the second time OSU has competed in front of national audience this season after facing NC State on ESPNU in early January. 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 okstate.statbroadcast.com, as well as trackwrestling.com.

The Series
Often dubbed the greatest rivalry in college wrestling, the Cowboy/Hawkeye series dates back to 1954, when Oklahoma State made its way to Iowa City and won on the road, 24-8. Sunday's meeting marks the 57th installment between the two storied programs with OSU holding a slim 29-25-2 advantage in the all-time series. The Hawkeyes have won each of the past three matchups, but the series now returns to Stillwater for the first time since 2019. In that contest, Oklahoma State took seven of 10 bouts to beat No. 3 Iowa, 27-12, in front of Gallagher-Iba Arena's second-biggest wrestling crowd ever. OSU has performed well at home throughout the long series, holding a 14-7-2 record in 23 duals in Stillwater. John Smith is the winningest head coach on either side of the rivalry with an 18-14-1 record against the Hawkeyes. In addition, Oklahoma State owns the longest winning streak in series history, winning nine in a row from 2000 to 2008. Iowa has never won more than six consecutive duals against OSU.

Oklahoma State and Iowa are the two most successful programs in college wrestling history, combining for 58 NCAA team titles and 228 individual NCAA champions. Those 58 team titles account for over half of the team championships awarded by the NCAA, and the programs hold the top two spots in all-time NCAA team championships, individual championships and All-Americans.

About the Cowboys
Oklahoma State held the No. 2 spot in Tuesday's NWCA Coaches Poll for the third-consecutive week after topping No. 25 Oklahoma for its 19th Phillips 66 Bedlam Series dual win in a row last Sunday. The Cowboys posted a season-best six bonus-point wins on the day and jumped out to a commanding lead thanks to early pins from Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison. Now looking to secure the 48th undefeated season in program history, Oklahoma State is joined by Penn State as the only two undefeated teams remaining in the country. OSU leads the nation with a dozen ranked wins and has defeated a ranked opponent in 10 straight duals, its longest streak in 20 years. The Cowboys will also be looking for their fourth top-five win of the year, a total they haven't reached since 2005. In addition, a victory over the Hawkeyes would mark Oklahoma State's 45th unbeaten campaign inside Gallagher-Iba Arena and fourth in the past six seasons.

The Cowboy lineup is led by returning All-Americans and Big 12 champions Daton Fix and Dustin Plott, as well as 165-pounder Izzak Olejnik, who finished eighth last season at Northern Illinois. The trio has combined for a 56-5 record and makes OSU one of four teams in the country with at least three wrestlers ranked third or higher. Oklahoma State also boasts a deep lineup to go alongside its star power, as all 10 starters landed inside the top-25 this week, half of which were in the top-10.

Redshirt freshman Troy Spratley has settled into his role down the stretch and provided a much-needed spark at the front of the lineup. Boasting a 19-4 record, Spratley is ranked as high as No. 5 at 125 pounds. Tagen Jamison is 17-5 on the year with five top-10 wins and, along with Spratley and Fix, has helped OSU win the opening three bouts in five straight duals. After opening the year at 149 pounds, Teague Travis has proven to be a key piece in the Cowboy lineup at 157 pounds. He is tied for second on the team with a dozen dual victories and cracked the top-10 in this week's InterMat Poll. True freshman Brayden Thompson has won nine of his last 13 matches at 174 pounds, while heavyweight Konner Doucet is 15-6 on the year and has spent much of the season in the top-10.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Make OSU 15-0 overall; 9-0 at home
• Give OSU its first undefeated season since 2021; third since 2005; 48th in program history
• Give OSU four top-five wins in a season for the first time since 2005
• Mark OSU's NCAA-leading 13th ranked win, its most since 2006
• Give OSU a ranked win in 11 straight duals, its most in a single season since 1994
• Improve OSU's record against Iowa to 30-25-2; John Smith's to 19-14-1
• Give John Smith 491 wins as a head coach, one shy of Harold Nichols for second-most all-time
• Make OSU 6-1 in its last seven duals against top-10 opponents
• Make OSU 16-1 in its last 17 duals against ranked opponents
• Make OSU 20-1 in its last 21 duals overall

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Konner Doucet

Daton Fix

Tagen Jamison

Izzak Olejnik

Dustin Plott

Troy Spratley

Brayden Thompson

Teague Travis

Oklahoma State University Athletics