Oklahoma State Completes Weekend Sweep with One of the Best Matches of Season
(Pokes Report publisher Robert Allen contributed to this story that originated with OSU Athletic Media Relations.)
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team capped off a weekend sweep in Gallagher-Iba Arena with a 28-7 victory over No. 23 West Virginia as it improved to 8-1 overall and 4-0 in conference matches. The Cowboys won eight of 10 matches, that included bonus point wins from Daton Fix, Travis Wittlake and Luke Surber.
"We did a nice job picking up that first takedown in the first period," head coach John Smith said. "I think everyone scored a takedown in the first period except for Blankenship and Wyatt. So, that's what you're looking for when eight of your ten pick up that first takedown… With [Travis Wittlake and Luke Surber] both of them picking up major decisions and scoring points. Doing a good job of riding and getting off bottom. Just overall, a good effort up there. This was one of our best efforts of the season."
Fix put the Cowboys up 6-4 early into the dual when he pinned Davin Rhoads in the third period. The fall is the third of the season for the second-ranked Cowboy who moved to 14-0 on the season.
“I hadn’t been able to put anybody on their back the last several matches and I was trying hard in this one,” Fix explained. “I finally got it late and it felt good to get back into winning that way.”
Wittlake and Surber finished their weekends with a pair of major decisions after both collecting 17-5 victories against Northern Colorado on Friday. Wittlake took down No. 30 Anthony Carman seven times on his way to a 16-7 victory, which gave him a total of 14 takedowns in his last two outings.
“He is looking very natural at 184 pounds,” Fix said of hsi teammate. “Moving up two weights from 165 is a lot of weight and it took him some matches to get a feel for those guys and wrestling against that weight. He is got it down now.”
The next Cowboy on the mat, Surber scored a takedown in each of the first two periods, then exploded in the third scoring four takedowns on his way to a 14-5 major decision.
“They pushed the scoreboard,” Smith said. “They were trying to get back points but when they came up on a time crunch they pushed the score out and got the major decisions. I like that.”
Following Fix's fall at 133 pounds, OSU won decisions in the next four bouts to jump out to a 15-4 lead. Carter Young was strong in the top position as he rode Jordan Titus to a 5-1 decision, while Victor Voinovich collected his 11th win of the season and Kaden Gfeller defeated No. 28 Alex Hornfeck, 5-3.
The Mountaineers would take their second victory of the day at 165 pounds where No. 12 Peyton Hall defeated No. 22 Wyatt Sheets in a close match. No. 8 Killian Cardinale defeated Zach Blankenship 14-4 to start the dual.
The Cowboys would win the final four bouts for the third consecutive dual as Dustin Plott and Konner Doucet claimed decisions over around the major decisions from Wittlake and Surber. Plott fell behind West Virginia's Scott Joll early in the first, but a pair of reversals and a takedown kept him in the match. Two more takedowns in the third period secured a 14-11 decision for Plott in a high-scoring affair.
“It’s okay to have a match like that,” Smith added. “That kid was pushing it early and I was proud of Dustin to keep consistent and wear him down.”
“I thought by the end he could have had a few more takedowns,” Fix said of the highest scoring match. “By the end of the third period you could tell he wore that guy down.”
Doucet closed out the match for the Cowboys with a 3-1 win over No. 26 Michael Wolfgram with a first period takedown and third period escape.
Oklahoma State will put its five-match win streak on the line next weekend against a pair of ranked conference opponents. OSU will square off with No. 15 Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Saturday before taking on No. 4 Iowa State in Ames on Sunday.
No. 12 Oklahoma State 28, No. 23 West Virginia 7
Jan. 22, 2023 I Gallagher-Iba Arena I Stillwater, Okla.
Attendance: 4,045
125: No. 8 Killian Cardinale (WVU) MD Zach Blankenship (OSU), 14-4
133: No. 2 Daton Fix (OSU) fall Davin Rhoads (WVU), 5:47
141: No. 32 Carter Young (OSU) dec. Jordan Titus (WVU), 5-1
149: No. 20 Victor Voinovich (OSU) dec. Jeff Boyd (WVU), 8-3
157: No. 11 Kaden Gfeller (OSU) dec. No. 28 Alex Hornfeck (WVU) , 5-3
165: No. 12 Peyton Hall (WVU) dec. No. 22 Wyatt Sheets (OSU), 6-2
174: No. 6 Dustin Plott (OSU) dec. Scott Joll (WVU), 14-11
184: No. 12 Travis Wittlake (OSU) MD No. 30 Anthony Carman (WVU), 16-7
197: No. 21 Luke Surber (OSU) MD No. 32 Austin Cooley, 14-5
HWT: No. 25 Konner Doucet (OSU) dec. No. 26 Michael Wolfgram (WVU), 3-1