Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Iowa
Cowboys Visit No. 3 Iowa to Close Regular Season
February 20, 2025 | Cowboy Wrestling
The Basics
The No. 2 Oklahoma State wrestling team (13-0 overall; 9-0 Big 12) closes the regular season with a tough road test against No. 3 Iowa on Sunday, February 23. Following their win over then-No. 16 Little Rock on February 8 and a weekend off from competition, the Cowboys are looking to cement their first undefeated season since 2021 and the 48th in program history.
On the Air
Sunday's dual is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. CT start and will be televised on Big Ten Network with Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons on the call. Rex Holt also returns as the voice of Cowboy wrestling to provide live radio coverage, which will be carried on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live stats can be found on iowa.statbroadcast.com.
The Series
Widely considered the greatest rivalry in college wrestling, the series between the Cowboys and Hawkeyes dates back to February 22, 1954. Oklahoma State took that dual by a score of 24-8, kicking off an intense, back-and-forth series that currently leans OSU's way, 29-26-2. The series now returns to Iowa City, however, a place that the Hawkeyes hold a 15-10 edge and the Cowboys have not left victorious since January 2012. Sunday also marks the 37th meeting ever in which both teams were ranked in the top five, including last season's contest in Stillwater. The Cowboys are 21-15 in those top-five duals, which cover nearly 70% of all matchups since team rankings were introduced in 1960. Oklahoma State and Iowa are the two most successful programs in college wrestling history, combining for 58 NCAA championships and 228 individual national champions. Those 58 team titles account for over half of the championships awarded by the NCAA, and the programs hold the top two spots in all-time NCAA team titles, individual champions and All-Americans.
About the Cowboys
The 2024 offseason sparked a new era for Oklahoma State as longtime skipper John Smith announced his retirement and wrestling legend David Taylor was hired as the eighth head coach in program history. That momentum has continued to soar into 2025 following OSU's 13-0 run through the dual season and impressive performance at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The Cowboys have been nothing short of dominant, taking down 10 ranked teams in the process and needing just one more win to cement the program's 48th undefeated campaign. Although the streak was snapped in late January, OSU began the season by scoring 30+ team points in nine consecutive duals, which sits in a tie for third longest in program history. In addition, Cowboy wrestlers have combined for a 46.6% bonus rate through 305 total matches, a percentage that would be the program's best since 1934. Now ranked second as a team in the NWCA Coaches Poll, the OSU lineup features seven wrestlers ranked in the top six and a representative at every weight class, giving it all the pieces necessary to contend for a team trophy this upcoming March.
National finalist Dustin Plott is back at 184 pounds to lead perhaps the deepest lineup throughout his time in Stillwater. The three-time All-American owns a 15-2 record this season and beat Oklahoma's DJ Parker back in December to become the 46th wrestler in program history with 100 career victories. He also ranks top 10 among all Cowboy wrestlers with 18 technical falls throughout his career. Newcomers Dean Hamiti Jr. and Wyatt Hendrickson have both made an immediate impact in their first year as Cowboys, currently joining Plott at No. 3 in the rankings. Both wrestlers are undefeated and widely considered two of the biggest bonus-point threats in the entire country, regardless of weight. In the lighter classes, Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison are both ranked near the top at 125 and 141 pounds, respectively. Jamison has won 16 of 19 matches this season, while Spratley boasts three victories over top-five opponents. Altogether, half of Oklahoma State's starting lineup resides in the top five at their respective weight class.
The rest of the Cowboy lineup is balanced out by several proven veterans who have each qualified for the national tournament multiple times. One of the main stories of the year has come at 197 pounds, where Luke Surber's had a bounce-back season and leads the team in wins with a 19-1 record. He sits at No. 6 in the country, just like 165-pounder Cameron Amine, who is 13-4 on the year and has won seven of his last eight matches. Caleb Fish also brings a wealth of experience at 157 pounds having wrestled 142 matches in his career, by far the most on the team.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Make OSU 14-0 overall; 11-0 against ranked opponents; 7-0 on the road
• Complete OSU's first undefeated season since 2021 and the 48th in program history
• Improve OSU's record against Iowa to 30-26-2; 11-15 in Iowa City; 22-15 when both teams are ranked in the top five
• Give OSU its first win in Iowa City since January 7, 2012
• Mark OSU's highest-ranked road win since beating No. 1 Minnesota on December 2, 2012
• Mark OSU's seventh straight dual having beaten a ranked opponent
• Give OSU three wins over top-five teams for the second season in a row
• Make OSU 23-1 against ranked opponents since the start of last season
• Give OSU 13 straight wins on the road
• Improve OSU's record to 44-4 in its past 48 duals overall
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Players Mentioned
