John Smith Talks Team, Ranking Matches, COVID, and Schedule

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith and one of his veterans at 141-pounds in Stillwater native Kaid Brock took some time out of their holiday schedule to meet with members of the media that cover Oklahoma State wrestling. The schedule was released today and reflects a different type of schedule as Smith had hinted to earlier this fall. One day a week of competition will be the standard sometimes with two duals, a quadrangular (which is new), and a mini tournament.

“If you told me that I was going to have to go through this again, I don’t know if I would do it,” Smith said of navigating COVID-19. “This has been hard. I know Coach (Dan) Gable said, ‘once you’ve wrestled everything becomes easier.’ I think that is true, but I don’t know about this.”

The first entry on the new wrestling schedule released on Dec. 23 may be the most important as those ranking matches inside Gallagher-Iba Arena, which are slated to be open for limited spectators, will help determine the early season line-up. It will also determine how many of the celebrated members of the freshmen class will be included.

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Cowboys have been busy in the wrestling room.

“Those ranking matches are going to be good. They are going to give us a pretty good idea of where people are,” Smith said of the Jan. 3 event. “We have some pretty good match-ups at 125. At 133 you have the opportunity to see a couple of Oklahoma kids like Andrew Nieman and a couple of other kids that will have an opportunity for Varsity before (Daton) Fix comes back (from suspension). (141) with Kaid Brock and Dusty Hone and then 149 with (Kaden) Gfeller and Boo Lewallen. There’s not too many weights where you are going to say “this guy is going to be the starter.’”

Smith is confident that if not at the beginning, that by the second half of the season his team will be stout and a contender for the Big 12 for sure, and maybe for the top spot in the NCAA. Navigating the 2021 coronavirus and where the pandemic is as we turn from 2020 to 2021 will play a huge role in which wrestling teams are at the top and if the NCAA allows for a national championship, which by the way, Smith said is imperative for the sport.

“It’s just going to give us a chance to see who is coming out the gate strong,” Smith said. “I don’t think that we’re going to see this team become dominant yet, especially with the option of starting two to three freshmen. As we go through two or three of these early matches then I think we will start separating ourselves. Our real challenge halfway through the schedule will be going to UNI and Iowa State and those are two teams that can challenge for the Big 12.”  

Those matches will happen all on the same day on Jan. 30. Smith and the Cowboys have a little over a month to be prepared for it.