Cowboys Get #500 in GIA with Win over South Dakota State

STILLWATER - The Oklahoma State wrestling team added another piece of history to Gallagher-Iba Arena as the Pokes collected dual win No. 500 in the building in a 29-6 victory over No. 23 South Dakota State on Friday night.

"I'm glad this team got to be a part of that," head coach John Smith said. "Five hundred victories for a program just at home is quite an accomplishment. I'm excited to be a part of it. It tells you a little bit about the legacy of Oklahoma State wrestling. A lot of wins."

Named Gallagher Hall at the time, the Cowboys collected an 18-6 win over Indiana on Feb. 3, 1939, for the building's first dual win. Over the span of nearly 83 years, to the day, the Cowboys have now reached 500 wins in the historic arena.

No. 10 Oklahoma State handled the Jackrabbits all night as eight Cowboys won their bouts, which included three bonus-point victories and two ranked upsets.

At 133 pounds, Daton Fix picked up his fifth fall of the season when he took down Gabriel Tagg and stuck him on his back on the edge of the mat in the third period. Wyatt Sheets rebounded after three consecutive losses with a 10-1 major decision over Kenny O'Neil at 157 pounds, while Dakota Geer scored seven takedowns in a 16-7 major over No. 33 Cade King. It marked the third major decision of the season for Geer and No. 30 of his career.

Dustin Plott faced the highest-ranked South Dakota State wrestler and picked up his sixth win of the season in a 5-3 decision over No. 9 Cade DeVos in a top-10 matchup. At heavyweight, Luke Surber, ranked No. 33 in the weight class, held on to defeat No. 22 A.J. Nevills in a 5-3 bout. The win marked Surber's first career win over a ranked opponent.

"That's what it's going to take for Surber," Smith said. "You're a young guy who's wrestling at a weight class that you've never wrestled at weighing 220 and these guys are weighing 245 to 255. You're going to have to compete at all times. In the end, he needed a win and he needed to have had to work to get that win. From riding to finishing his takedowns, it's good to see him have success."

No. 8 Trevor Mastrogiovanni moved his record to 12-1 with a 2-1 decision over Tanner Jordan to open the match. Kaden Gfeller won his 11th straight match with a 4-0 decision over Daniel Kimball at 149 pounds, while Travis Wittlake defeated No. 30 Tanner Cook, 3-1.

Carter Young and Gavin Stika dropped close bouts to ranked Jackrabbits. Young gave up a late takedown with the match tied at one as No. 13 Clay Carlson took the match, 3-1. Stika, making his third start at 197 pounds, pushed No. 12 Tanner Sloan to the brink, but was taken down in the third period in a 3-1 loss of his own.

The Cowboys will hit the road for the first time since Jan. 8 to face No. 12 Missouri at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
 
No. 10 Oklahoma State 29, No. 23 South Dakota State 6
Feb. 4, 2022  |  Gallagher-Iba Arena  |  Stillwater, Okla. 
Attendance: 3,667
125: No. 8 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (OSU) dec. Tanner Jordan (SDSU), 2-1
133: No. 2 Daton Fix (OSU) fall Gabriel Tagg (SDSU), 5:55
141: No. 13 Clay Carlson (SDSU) dec. No. 21 Carter Young (OSU), 3-1
149: No. 13 Kaden Gfeller (OSU) dec. Daniel Kimball (SDSU), 4-0
157: No. 18 Wyatt Sheets (OSU) MD Kenny O'Neil (SDSU), 10-1
165: No. 10 Travis Wittlake (OSU) dec. No. 30 Tanner Cook (SDSU), 3-1
174: No. 10 Dustin Plott (OSU) dec. No. 9 Cade DeVos (SDSU), 5-3
184: No. 11 Dakota Geer (OSU) MD No. 33 Cade King (SDSU), 16-7
197: No. 12 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) dec. Gavin Stika (OSU), 3-1
HWT: No. 33 Luke Surber (OSU) dec. No. 22 A.J. Nevills (SDSU), 5-3