Amine, Hamiti Jr. Plott, Surber, and Hendrickson Power Cowboys at Iowa State

The second leg of the Iowa road trip wasn’t any easier than Friday night as the No. 13 Iowa State Cyclones dominated in thelower weights and forced the Cowboys strong line-up after the intermission to bonus up. The Cowboys lost four of the first five bouts to fall behind more than they have in any dual this season as the home Cyclones led 12-4 inside the Hilton Coliseum. From that point on it was Oklahoma State as the bigger half of the lineup led to a 27-12 win. Oklahoma State goes to 11-0 on the season staying unbeaten and they are 8-0 in the Big 12. It wasn’t without some adversity.

Oklahoma State started to turn the tide with Cameron Amine at 165 pounds. Amine used a “figure four” to move into the opening takedown on unranked Aiden Riggins. After an escape, Amine worked behind Riggins for another takedown. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Cameron Amine dominates Aiden Riggins.

Leading 7-3 in the third period Amine used starting the period on top to collect the riding time advantage. He grabbed a third takedown and was in position for a major decision, but give Riggins credit as a late escape kept it to 11-4 decision, but the Cowboys had turned the tide. 

Dean Hamiti Jr., the unbeaten and No. 3-ranked Cowboy at 174 pounds evened it up. Hamiti Jr. came out ans got a single on the shot and then rolled into a scramble with the Cyclones M.J. Gaitan and got a takedown as they went to the edge of the mat. After Gaitan escaped came the big move as Hamiti took him down to his back and collected all four near fall points. Hamiti was like a surgeon as he got an escape in the secomd period and then came back with a takedown and rode Gaitan to two minutes of riding time to virtually guarantee that bonus point.

Another takedown looked to add near fall points on a ruled dangerous move. Officials Eric Boucher and Ryan Hagan reviewed it with no change, so Hamiti had to move to a third period.. He allowed an escape and then got the takedown needed to finish a 20-4 tech fall. The five points evened the dual at 12-12.

Hamiti Jr. was the first of the Oklahoma State wrestlers to talk with ESPN side mat commentator Quint Kessenich and tell him the different that head coach David Taylor makes.

Oklahoma State Athletics

Taylor looks on at Iowa State.

“I’m wrestling more confident and I feel really good,” Hamiti said after his win. “Coach Taylor is an amazing person and a great role model for all of us. he started with us this summer.”

At 184, Dustin Plott rebounded from losing to rival parker keckeisen of Northern Iowa on Friday as used a single leg for his opening takedown and then in the second period went from the single again to a wrap around with his arm and advanced his lead to 7-1. He eventually finished with a very solid 11-2 major decision with close to two minutes of riding time over Iowa State’s Evan Bockman and Oklahoma State led 16-12.      

“He’s the best wrestler in the world, great man, great coach,” Plott told Kessinich after his win when he asked Plott about wrestling head coach David Taylor in practice. “It has been an honor to be a part of this team. He has impacted me in every way.”

Luke Surber was wreslting solid at 197 pounds leading Sawyer Bartelt 7-2 when he twisted the Cyclone wrestler around near the edge of the mat in the third period. Surber came back with a point ont he restart as Bartelt released him. Surber got a late takedown as Bartelt was clearly effected and Iowa State coach Kevin Dresser pulled him for a default in the match. Now the Cowboys had it clinched at 22-12.

Wyatt Hendrickson joined Hamiti Jr. by staying unbeaten. Hendrickson just did Wyatt-things as he got a quick takedown for three and then rode out the period collecting near fall points along the way. He came back in the second period and quickly closed out a 16-0 tech fall to push the score to the final count of 27-12.

For the Cowboys it started off well enough as after unranked Ethan Perryman used a double leg takedown and then repeated midway through the first period to forge a 6-5 advantage after the first three minutes. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Spratley rebounded with a major decision in Ames, 20-10 over Ethan Perryman.

Spratley started the second period down and got a quick escape to tied the dual at 6-6. He then used a single leg to take Perryman to his back and collected all the near fall points he could at four to go up 13-6. Another second period takedown gave Spratley a 16-8 lead and went on to score a 20-10 major decision for a 4-0 Oklahoma State lead. 

Reece Witcraft, back after missing several duals with a knee injury, used an underhook and trip to jump out to a 3-0 lead, but he couldn’t handle the first of the Frost brother in Evan after that. The No. 5 wrestler at 133 scored his own takedown and four-point near fall and went on to a 9-4 decision over Witcraft. 

At 141 pounds the Cowboys Tagen Jamison lost his second match in a row as No. 13 Jacob Frost battled him to a 1-1 score through three periods. Then in sudden victory Frost got the single leg takedown early in the extra time for a 4-1 decision. Iowa State now led 6-4. 

Iowa State’s No. 11 Paniro Johnson jumped out early at 149 pounds with a single shot that led to him getting both of Carter Young’s legs and the takedown. There was little scoring with three escapes after that. Johnson came away with a 4-2 decision and Iowa State had a 9-4 advantage on the team scoreboard.  

At 157 came the low point of the dual and of the season for the Pokes as the Cyclones No. 12 Cody Chittum won a 4-2 decision over the Cowboys No. 11 Caleb Fish. Oklahoma State trailed 12-4, the biggest deficit of the dual and of the season thus far for David Taylor’s Cowboys.

Oklahoma State will head home to wrestle Missouri on Jan. 2, but the regular season finale will be Feb. 23 back in Iowa against the Hawkeyes.

No. 3 Oklahoma State 27 No. 13 Iowa State 12

Jan. 26, 2025 | Hilton Coliseum | Ames, Iowa

Attendance: 6,533

125: No. 2 Troy Spratley (OSU) MD Ethan Perryman (ISU), 20-10

133: No. 5 Evan Frost (ISU) dec. Reece Witcraft (OSU), 9-4

141: No. 13 Jacob Frost (ISU) dec. No. 4 Tagen Jamison (OSU), SV-1 4-1

149: No. 11 Paniro Johnson (ISU) dec. No. 14 Carter Young (OSU), 4-2

157: No. 12 Cody Chittum (ISU) dec. No. 11 Caleb Fish (OSU), 4-2

165: No. 6 Cameron Amine (OSU) dec. Aiden Riggins (ISU), 11-4

174: No. 3 Dean Hamiti Jr. (OSU) TF No. 23 MJ Gaitan (ISU), 20-4 5:21

184: No. 3 Dustin Plott (OSU) MD No. 12 Evan Bocknan (ISU), 11-2

197: No. 7 Luke Surber (OSU) med. forfeit Nate Schon (ISU), Inj. 6:39

HWT: No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson (OSU) TF No. 23 Daniel Herrera (ISU), 16-0 3:31