Cowboys Clobber UALR on the Mat
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The No. 4 Oklahoma State wrestling team defeated the Trojans of Little Rock, 35-6, in their first dual of 2022.The Cowboys improved to 8-0 this season with seven wins on the road.
The Pokes dominated in front of a wrestling attendance record of 1,524 in the Jack Stephens Center, winning eight of 10 bouts. Six Cowboys earned bonus-point victories on the night by way of a fall, three technical falls and two major decisions.
Oklahoma State’s top ranked 197-pounder AJ Ferrari claimed the second fall of his career as he pinned Brooks Sacharczyk in 2:39. It marks the first fall of the season for Ferrari and fifth bonus-point victory of the season as he moves to 8-0.
Daton Fix, Wyatt Sheets and Dakota Geer each picked up technical falls over their Trojan opponents. Fix, the second-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds, moved to 8-0 on the season with a 17-2 victory over Jaylen Carson that ended early into the third period. At 157 pounds, Sheets put up 15 straight points after a scoreless first period to earn a 15-0 tech fall over Austin Keal. Geer (184) worked quickly in his match against Tanner Mendoza as the senior put up 18 points in the first period en route to an 18-0 tech fall, which was his team-leading fifth of the season.
Carter Young (141) improved his record to 5-1 in his true freshman season with a 14-4 major decision over Conner Ward. It’s the second major in a row for No. 20 Young after defeating Wyoming’s Chase Zollman, 15-6 on December 17. Heavyweight Luke Surber was the other Cowboy with a major decision victory as he took care of Josiah Hill by a score of 10-2.
125-pounder Trevor Mastorgiovanni moved to 8-0 on the season as he opened the dual with an 8-3 decision over Jayden Carson, while No. 5 Travis Wittlake (165) was attempting to score bonus points but gave up a late takedown, forcing him to settle with a 9-4 decision over Tyler Brennan.
Two OSU starters were missing from the lineup in Little Rock as Kaden Gfeller and Dustin Plott were unavailable. Indiana transfer Joey Sanchez took the place of Gfeller at 149 pounds and was defeated by Joseph Bianchi 5-0. At 174 pounds, Jalin Harper, who usually wrestles at 157 pounds, bumped up two weight classes to face Little Rock’s Triston Wills, who took the bout, 7-1.
Oklahoma State hits the road again next weekend for a tri-meet with Columbia and West Virginia in Morgantown on Sunday, January 16. The Cowboys will face Columbia first before a conference match with the Mountaineers later that day.
No. 4 Oklahoma State 35, Little Rock 6
Jan. 8, 2022 | Jack Stephens Center | Little Rock, Ark.
Attendance: 1,524
125: No. 9 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (OSU) dec. Jayden Carson (LR), 8-3
133: No. 2 Daton Fix (OSU) TF Jaylen Carson (LR), 17-2, 5:34
141: No. 20 Carter Young (OSU) MD Conner Ward (LR), 14-4
149: Joseph Bianchi (LR) dec. Joey Sanchez (OSU), 5-0
157: No. 13 Wyatt Sheets (OSU) TF Austin Keal (LR), 15-0, 5:56
165: No. 5 Travis Wittlake (OSU) dec. Tyler Brennan (LR), 9-4
174: Triston Wills (LR) dec. Jalin Harper (OSU), 7-1
184: No. 11 Dakota Geer (OSU) TF Tanner Mendoza (LR), 18-0, 2:17
197: No. 1 AJ Ferrari (OSU) fall Brooks Sacharczyk (LR), 2:39
HWT: No. 31 Luke Surber (OSU) MD Josiah Hill (LR) 10-2