Dustin Plott with Two Bonus Wins Highlights a Rough Thursday Night at NCAAs
(This story was written by Robert Allen of Pokes Report with contribution by Sean MaGuire of Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations.)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The thursday night sessions at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in recent years have been nightmarish for Oklahoma State wrestling and that continued in Kansas City. After winning 7-of-10 matches in the first session sending seven wrestlers to the Round-of-16, the Cowboys number of wrestlers in the championship bracket dwindled to three. Chief among those three was top seed at 133 pounds Daton Fix. Fix in his final collegiate season has been a finalist at the NCAA three times without the championship. This needs to be his title.
Fix ran into a wrestler in No. 16 Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State that has the style that gives Fix issues. He is a strong 133 pounder that can excel on top. Fix did the smart thing and built up a lead of 5-1 and then hung on in a rough third period for the win.
Oklahoma State’s Troy Spratley and Dustin Plott also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships Thursday night as the Cowboys wrapped up the first day of the event in 10th place in the team standings.
Spratley, the sixth-seeded wrestler at 125 pounds, used a comfortable 8-1 decision over Virginia Tech’s Cooper Flynn to reach the quarterfinal round. Plott cruised to a 17-3 major decision over No. 19 James Conway of Franklin and Marshall at 184 pounds.
“Good wins from Troy,” said coach John Smith. “He definitely looked a lot different tonight than he did this morning. Went out and picked up a takedown, good ride, picked up a late takedown as well. That’s what he’s going to have to do tomorrow.”
Fix is now 19-0 in his final season as a Cowboy, while Plott moved to 29-3 on the year and Spratley improved to 23-6.
Jordan Williams, Teague Travis, Izzak Olejnik and Konner Doucet moved to the consolation bracket with losses at 149, 157, 165 and heavyweight, respectively.
OSU’s Tagen Jamison (141 pounds), Brayden Thompson (174 pounds) and Luke Surber (197 pounds) also competed in the first consolation round Thursday night but bowed out of the tournament after dropping decisions.
The action continues Friday morning on the second of three days in Kansas City. Spratley faces No. 3 Drake Ayala of Iowa, Fix faces No. 8 Evan Frost Iowa State and Plott faces Penn State’s No. 6 Bernie Truax for a spot in the semifinals. Williams, Travis, Olejnik and Doucet start the day in the second round of the wrestlebacks.
The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships continue through March 23 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with the third session scheduled to begin Friday at 11 a.m. on ESPNU.
2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships
March 21, 2024 | T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Mo.
Session II (Thursday Evening)
Championship Second Round Bouts
125: No. 6 Troy Spratley (OSU) def. No. 11 Cooper Flynn (VT) - 8-1 decision
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) def. No. 16 Nic Bouzakis (OHST) - 5-4 decision
149: No. 4 Caleb Henson (VT) def. No. 20 Jordan Williams (OSU) - 7-2 decision
157: No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU) def. No. 16 Teague Travis (OSU) - 19-4 TF
165: No. 10 Cameron Amine (MICH) def. No. 7 Izzak Olejnik (OSU) - 4-1 decision
184: No. 3 Dustin Plott (OSU) def. No. 19 James Conway (FM) - 17-3 MD
HWT: No. 5 Nathan Taylor (LEH) def. No. 12 Konner Doucet (OSU) - 6-1 decision
Consolation First Round Bouts
141: No. 7 Cael Happel (UNI) def. No. 10 Tagen Jamison (OSU) - 4-2 decision, Jamison eliminated
174: No. 24 Andrew Sparks (MINN) def. No. 25 Brayden Thompson (OSU) - 11-4 decision, Thompson eliminated
197: No. 11 Jaxon Smith (MD) def. No. 27 Luke Surber (OSU) - 4-2 decision, Surber eliminated
Team Standings After Session II (Top 10)
1. Penn State - 34.5
2. Iowa - 24.5
2. Iowa State - 24.5
4. Michigan - 22.0
4. NC State - 22.0
6. Nebraska - 21.0
7. Ohio State - 20.5
8. Cornell - 18.5
9. Virginia Tech - 17.5
10. Oklahoma State - 14.0
10. Missouri - 14.0
Quarterfinals Bouts (Friday Morning)
125: No. 6 Troy Spratley (OSU) vs. No. 3 Drake Ayala (IOWA)
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) vs. No. 8 Evan Frost (ISU)
184: No. 3 Dustin Plott (OSU) vs. No. 6 Bernie Truax (PSU)
Consolation Second Round Bouts (Friday Morning)
149: No. 20 Jordan Williams (OSU) vs. No. 19 Joseph Zargo (WIS)
157: No. 16 Teague Travis (OSU) vs. No. 18 Vinny Zerban (UNCO)
165: No. 7 Izzak Olejnik (OSU) vs. No. 25 Holden Heller (PITT)
HWT: No. 12 Konner Doucet (OSU) vs. No. 27 Josiah Hill (LR)