Fix Wrestles his Heart Out, but Falls Again in Finals to Bravo-Young

At the highest level of any sport and that includes wrestling, especially at the NCAA Championships, the difference between winning and losing is so slim. Unfortunately, Daton Fix has been on the slim side now three times as Fix, highly motivated and prepared, fell for the second year in a row to Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young in the 133-pound championship match. This time the final was 3-2 in regulation. Earlier on Saturday in the consolations the Cowboys 174-pound Dustin Plott finished sixth making two All-Americans for OSU. It was the lowest number of All-Americans since 1953 when Oklahoma State also had a pair. Overall, Oklahoma State finished No. 14 in the team standings. That is just the third finish out of the top 10 in school history.

A year ago, Bravo-Young decisioned Fix 4-2 in sudden victory one.The set up was so sensational as Bravo-Young was 35-0 in his college matches and Fix was 25-0 having last tasted defeat in the NCAA finals last season. The two wrestlers combined to go 250-0 in their high school careers with Fix 168-0 at Sand Springs and Bravo-Young 182-0 at Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Ariz.

© Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY

Bravo-Young with a near takedown early.

The two wrestlers locked up with both taking their shots in the first period. There was a lot of upper body tying up going on before Bravo-Young got a slim ankle pick, but he worked it around for a takedown and a 2-0 lead in the first period. Before the end of the period, Fix was able to get the escape before they edged off the mat. The period ended 2-1.

Daton started down in the second period and had a quick chance at an escape before Bravo-Young tackled him physically back to the mat. Fix worked a sit out escape after that and was up tying the score 2-2 and the riding time was well under the necessary minute for the Bravo-Young squirted out of that. Bravo-Young countered with one of his few shots and Fix shot back off the mat to stay up. The second period ended 2-2.

© Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY

The wrestlers spent a lot tied up upper body.

Bravo-Young was on bottom to start the third period and took 16 seconds to escape. Fix tried to keep him down and ride, but he couldn’t, and the best strategy looked like giving up the lead and going for a takedown. The wrestlers had one more good scramble as each had the others leg and while Bravo-Young had the higher position, Fix had the the leg solid. The official called a stalemate and after that for the final minute plus of the match Bravo-Young stayed defensive and was able to get away with it without being called for stalling.

The last re-start came at 16 seconds and Fix was doing everything he could in chasing Bravo-Young, but at that point the officials aren’t going to call the stall and Bravo-Young is just too athletic to be caught. The final was 3-2.

“I have so much respect for my opponent Daton Fix,” Bravo-Young said. He pushes me but two-time NCAA champion, how does that sound? Pretty good, huh.”

The season comes to an end for Fix with a 25-1 record. He is 77-4 all-time. Penn State had already clinched the NCAA team championship before the finals began on Saturday night and Bravo-Young got a rub-in comment on that.

“If you are a young wrestler and you want to get better and learn how to win then you need to go to Penn State,” he concluded.

Another important statistic of note, in the NCAA finals on Saturday there were 11 wrestlers from Big Ten schools and just two from the Big 12. There were three Ivy League wrestlers, two from the ACC, and two from the Pac-12 Conference. 

Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott ended his run at the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships Saturday morning in sixth place in the 174-pound bracket to mark the highest finish of his career.

A sophomore out of Tuttle, Oklahoma, Plott wrapped up the event with a 4-3 record in Detroit and won his first All-America honors. He finished his season with a 21-6 overall record that included 13 wins over ranked opponents and six bonus-point wins. 

On Saturday morning Plott was against No. 4 Hayden Hidlay of NC State, where an 8-2 decision from Hidlay sent Plott to the fifth-place match to face third-seeded Logan Massa of Michigan for

the second time in two days.

Plott faired one-point better against Massa than he did on Friday but fell again in a decision to the five-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American and US Senior Nationals champion, 5-1.

"It feels good (to be an All-American)," Plott said after securing the honor Friday night. " … I still think there's a little more that I haven't put out there. I think I'll always feel like that. It's cool and I'm glad I accomplished it, but my goal coming into a tournament is never just to place, and anything other than first is a little bit of a letdown."

Oklahoma State wrestling has now won 483 All-America honors in its history, which is far more than any other program, and OSU coach John Smith has now coached his wrestlers to 150 All-America honors in his career.

2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships
March 19, 2022 | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Mich.
Session VI (Saturday Night)

Final Team Standings (Top 15)

1. Penn State - 131.5

2. Michigan - 95.0

3. Iowa - 74.0

4. Arizona State - 66.5

5. Nebraska - 59.5

6. Northwestern - 57.5

7. Cornell - 54.5

8. Virginia Tech - 52.5

9. Missouri - 49.5

10. NC State - 49.0

11. Minnesota - 48.5

    Oregon State - 44.5

13. Ohio State - 44.0

14. Oklahoma State - 38.5

     Wisconsin - 38.5