Unfortunately, No Happy Ending for Daton Fix

(This story was written by Pokes Report’s Robert Allen, but was contributed to by Sean Maguire of Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations.)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – To this day there is a stigma when it comes to the Buffalo Bills, the only four-time loser in NFL history in the Super Bowl. Now, the other part of that story is the Bills won the AFC Championship all those years with a good team to make it to the Super Bowl. Daton Fix has something in common with those Bills. He was fighting to get his first ever NCAA individual championship and this was his final chance after being a three-time runner-up. Waiting for him in the championship match at 133 pounds was the wrestler that kept him from getting to the championship match last year in his hometown of Tulsa. Cornell’s Vito Arujau was looking for his second championship. 

This was as much of a battle to survive as it was to win a wrestling match. Both Fix and Arujau had their problems this season as Fix got a late start dealing with both injury and illness in December and into January, Arujau was battling a serious injury and rehab to get back. 

The match itself was a microcosm of the season for the two. First, the match lasted 22 minutes to complete the seven minutes on the clock. It is believed to be the longest championship match in time taken to complete in tournament history. The stops included blood timeouts for both competitors as Fix was bleeding from the forehead and above the eye. Arujau was bleeding from a cut on top of his head. 

A locked hands call on Arujau and an escape gave Fix and early lead and then a stall point made it 2-1 after the second period. 

In the third period, Arujau starts down and quickly escapes. Then Arujau takes a shot and Fix is hit for stalling. There was a review and the stalling call was taken off the board. Arujau got a takedown and that was reviewed and again wiped away. With 1:10 to go Arujau comes straight into Fix and knocks him back on the mat. Arujau gains control and get the takedown for a 5-2 lead. At the 48 second mark, Fix gets the escape with a somersault to get within two at 5-3. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Fix has many highlights in his career at OSU, but not the one he wanted most.

With 30 seconds left, Arujua struck again as Fix was starting to take desparate shots. He had to, Arujau gets a takedown at the edge, but he really did nto gain control of both legs as Fix went to a split. Another review and again, points take away from Arujau, but there were less than 30 seconds left and Fix couldn’t come up with anything close. 

Arujau won 5-3 for his second NCAA championship, back-to-back. He also has two other All-American finishes. Fix leaves the collegiate mat as a five-time All-American and the only four-time NCAA wrestling runner-up.  

“It’s disappointing,” Fix said after the match. “I left it all out on the mat. Sometimes things suck and somethings suck more.”

“I love Oklahoma State,” Fix said. “I’ve said it a million times, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It’s been a dream come true to put on the orange singlet. I’m just very thankful for everything that they’ve done for me and I hope I’ve made them proud.”

“He’s one of our all-time bests,” coach John Smith said after the match. “Not only was he highly competitive in college, but he’s a World Championship silver medalist at the senior level. He’s done a lot of things that will motivate others. He’s meant a lot to us.”

Like those Bills, it is a great accomplishment to make it to four NCAA Championship matches and to be a five-time All-American, but not getting that title is very tough to deal with.