Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Wrestling to Kick Off New Year at Southern Scuffle
December 30, 2014 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State's wrestling team travels to Chattanooga, Tenn., this week to compete at the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1-2. The Cowboys boast three No. 1 seeds and eight other seeded wrestlers entering the tournament.
The Cowboys and Penn State's Nittany Lions lead the way with 11 seeded wrestlers each.
“It's good to get the team back together for this event,” coach John Smith said. “We haven't had the team together since Bedlam in early December. This is a tournament that is going to test us, and I look forward to seeing how it's going to work out for us. We had some good training over the holidays. I'd like to see a lot of success at this event, but we're going to have to earn it, that's for sure.”
Owning top-seeded spots at their respective weight classes are 2014 NCAA finalist Josh Kindig (149), NCAA champion Alex Dieringer (165) and All-American Austin Marsden (285).
Seeded No. 5 at 184 pounds is sophomore Nolan Boyd, who is fresh off a championship and Outstanding Wrestler performance at the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Eddie Klimara will be seeded sixth at 125 pounds. The tournament will mark the first time since Dec. 7 that the junior has competed.
The Pokes have two seeded at 174 pounds in Jordan Rogers, the No. 7-seed, and Kyle Crutchmer, the No. 9 seed.
Ohio natives Dean Heil and Anthony Collica enter the tournament with the No. 8 seeds at 141 pounds and 157 pounds, respectively. Both Cowboys earned titles at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 21.
True freshmen Gary Wayne Harding (133) and Chandler Rogers (165) are the No. 12 seeds of their brackets. Rogers will compete unattached, while Harding will burn his redshirt this week.
Also competing for the Cowboys is Brian Crutchmer (133), Davey Dolan (149), Chris Koo (157), Austin Schafer and Luke Bean (197). Wrestling unattached, in addition to Rogers, is Chance Marsteller.
Competition is set to begin at 9 a.m. ET on Jan. 1. Fans can follow the action with live scoring on trackwrestling.com and live video on flowrestling.org.
