Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Take Full Squad to NCAAs in Oklahoma City
March 17, 2014 | Cowboy Wrestling
March 17, 2014
The Basics
The Oklahoma State wrestling squad, ranked No. 4 by the Intermat tournament rankings, heads to Oklahoma City, Okla., to compete in the NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 20-22. The first round is set to begin at 11 a.m. on March 20.
Live Updates
Fans can follow the action online through live updates on Twitter by following @CowboyWrestling.
Watch The Championships Live
Fans will be able to watch the entire 2014 NCAA Championships as ESPN expands its coverage. ESPN will televise the semifinals and championship finals while ESPNU will air the preliminary sessions and medal round. The entire tournament will be available on WatchESPN.
Listen to the Tournament Live
The tournament will be aired live on 780 AM and 93.7 KSPI FM radio in Stillwater with Roger Moore and Rex Holt on the call. The audio stream can also be heard live on okstate.tv, but a subscription is required to listen online.
Cowboys Take 10
Oklahoma State will send all 10 of its starters to the NCAA tournament. With eight of the Cowboys earning automatic bids, Nolan Boyd and returning All-American Blake Rosholt were the final pieces to the Cowboys' puzzle. Boyd and Rosholt received at-large bids, giving the Pokes a full lineup to take to Oklahoma City.
Big 12 Champs, Again
The Oklahoma State wrestling squad claimed its 12th Big 12 title and 48th conference title on March 9, earning 98.5 team points, blowing out second-place Oklahoma, who put up 63.5 points. The Pokes crowned six individual champions and automatically qualified eight wrestlers for the NCAA tournament. Three Cowboys produced runner-up finishes, while the other Poke finished in third.
At the 2014 Big 12 tournament, OSU put more than half its wrestlers atop the podium for the second-straight year. Anthony Collica and Austin Marsden earned their first conference titles. Collica became the 19th freshman in school history to earn an individual title. Jon Morrison, Alex Dieringer and Tyler Caldwell each picked up their second crowns. Senior Chris Perry capped off his career with his fourth Big 12 title, making him the sixth Cowboy in school history to win four titles.
In all, OSU will take 13 Big 12 individual titles to Oklahoma City.
2014 Big 12 Championship Standings
1. Oklahoma State 98.5 points
2. Oklahoma 63.5 points
3. Iowa State 45.5 points
4. West Virginia 26 points
Cowboys Return Five All-Americans
2013 NCAA champion at 174 pounds Chris Perry is joined by four other All-Americans on the Cowboys' squad. Sophomore Alex Dieringer received the distinction after producing a third-place finish at last year's tournament. While at Oklahoma, Tyler Caldwell earned two All-America honors, finishing fifth in 2010 and second in 2011. Last year, Caldwell earned a third-place finish. Senior Jon Morrison earned his first All-American honor at 133 pounds, finishing last year's tournament in fifth. Blake Rosholt returns for his final NCAA championship after earning eighth in 2013.
Cowboys At the NCAA Tournament
The Oklahoma State wrestling program boasts 34 NCAA titles all-time, making it the winningest program in all of college sports.
Cowboy wrestlers have combined to win 136 NCAA individual titles and 435 All-America honors through the years, far surpassing the second-place totals held by Iowa (79 champions and 301 All-Americans).
John Smith At The NCAA Meet
John Smith has led the Cowboys to five NCAA titles and has coached 26 NCAA individual champions and 102 All-Americans since taking over the program in 1991-92.
His 26 NCAA champions leads all active coaches and his 102 All-Americans ranks second to Minnesota's J Robinson, who has coached five more years than Smith.
Caldwell Seeks Fourth All-America Honor
Senior Tyler Caldwell looks to become a four-time All-American as he enters this year's NCAA tournament seeded No. 2. A native of Wichita, Kan., Caldwell started his wrestling career at OU, where he placed fifth and second at the national tournament, respectively. In his first NCAA tournament dressed in orange and black, Caldwell took third at the 2013 NCAA Championships at 165 pounds. Should he achieve that status again this year, he will be the 64th wrestler to become a two-time All-American while at OSU.
Cowboys vs. NCAA Field
The Cowboys have compiled a 76-40 record against the NCAA tourney field this season. Against the field at the national championships, three Cowboys have only suffered one loss. No. 4 seed at 133 pounds, Jon Morrison, put together a 10-1 record against this year's NCAA qualifiers. His lone loss came at the hands of No. 3 seed Tony Ramos of Iowa. Sophomore Alex Dieringer, who enters the tournament seeded No. 3 at 157 pounds, went 11-1 against the field this season, with his loss coming from No. 2 seed Derek St. John of Iowa. Senior Chris Perry has faced off against competitors in the 174-pound bracket 14 times this year. The only match he dropped was early in the season when he fell to No. 2 Andrew Howe of Oklahoma. Perry later avenged that loss, defeating Howe in the 174-pound finals of the Big 12 Championship.
Perry Continuing a Legacy
Senior Chris Perry is one of 36 Oklahoma State wrestlers all-time to win 100 career bouts. He enters the NCAA Championships with a 25-1 mark this year and a career record of 117-11. His win total ranks him 19th all-time at OSU and gives him a 91.4 win percentage. The senior also earned his fourth conference title, making him the sixth Cowboy wrestler to do so. He joins the likes of Steve Barrett (1974-77), his uncle LeeRoy Smith (1977-80), Johnny Thompson (2001-04), and Jordan Oliver (2010-13).
Perry won the 135th individual national championship for Oklahoma State, when he defeated Penn State's Matt Brown, 2-1, in a tiebreaker in the 2013 174-pound finals. He also earned the 10th individual NCAA title for his family. His uncles LeeRoy Smith (1980), John Smith (1987-88) and Pat Smith (1990-92, 94) make up for seven NCAA championships while at OSU, and his brother Mark Perry, Jr. earned two while at Iowa (2007-08).
Welcome to the 100 Club, Mr. Perry
Stillwater, Okla., native Chris Perry was welcomed into the Oklahoma State wrestling 100-win club after he defeated Wyoming's Brent Havlik with an 11-3 major decision to earn his 100th career win on Dec. 14. He now totes a 117-11 career record and is the 36th Cowboy wrestler to join the 100-Win Club. Perry is also the fifth member of his family to earn the honor. He joins father Mark Perry, and uncles John, LeeRoy and Pat Smith.
OSU Statistical Leaders
Wins: 29, Nolan Boyd
Bonus Point Wins: 16, Alex Dieringer
Wins by Fall: 11, Dieringer and Rogers
Wins by Technical Fall: 4, Dieringer and Perry
Wins by Major Decision: 7, Caldwell and Klimara
Dual Takedowns: 46, Jon Morrison
Dual Nearfalls: 5, Alex Dieringer
Best in the Big 12
Oklahoma State wrestling was recognized four times this season by the Big 12 Conference as Cowboy wrestlers were selected as Big 12 Wrestlers of the Week.
Senior Jon Morrison earned his third career weekly honor on Jan. 16 after he won his second-consecutive Southern Scuffle title at 133 pounds.
Alex Dieringer was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 27 following his performance against conference foe John Nicholson, who he defeated by a 14-3 major decision.
Chris Perry earned the first Big 12 honor on Dec. 16 after earning his 100th career win and the second on Feb. 17 after he took out fifth-ranked Matt Brown of Penn State in State College, Pa. Following his 3-2 upset over top-ranked Andrew Howe of OU in the 174-pound final of the Big 12 championship, Perry was named Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament.
Academic Excellence
The Big 12 Conference recognized seven Oklahoma State wrestlers as members of the 2014 Academic All-Big 12 wrestling team. OSU's first-team honorees include Darnell Bortz, Nolan Boyd, Tyler Caldwell, Tommy Diaz, Josh Kindig and Chris Perry. Senior Blake Rosholt was named a second-team selection.
Perry caps off his time at OSU as a four-time Academic All-Big 12 selection, and Caldwell earned the honor twice with the first coming in 2011 while he was a student-athlete at Oklahoma.
The Cowboys and Oklahoma led the league with seven selections each.
Good Ride, Cowboys
Four Cowboy wrestlers will complete their collegiate careers in Oklahoma City at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Stillwater, Okla., native Chris Perry seeks his second national title at 174 pounds. The first came in 2013, when he finished off Matt Brown of Penn State in a tiebreaker, 2-1. Tyler Caldwell enters his final NCAA tournament as a three-time All-American. In 2011, Caldwell was a finalist at 165 pounds, falling to eventual Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs. Jon Morrison competed in his first two NCAA championships at 125 pounds. In 2013, he earned his first All-America honor at 133 pounds, finishing fifth. Blake Rosholt will compete in his third NCAA tournament after finishing eighth last season to become an All-American. His redshirt freshman season, Rosholt competed in the heavyweight bracket.
Bonus Point Machines
Six of the Cowboys' starters have earned bonus points in at least half of their wins. Of sophomore Eddie Klimara's wins at 125 pounds, 72 percent have resulted in bonus points, including five falls, seven major decisions and one technical fall. The team's most prolific pinners, Alex Dieringer (157) and Jordan Rogers (184/197), have each run up their bonus-point win totals, sticking 11 of their opponents this season. Chris Perry (174) has earned 15 bonus-point wins out of his 24 wins and Nolan Boyd (184/197) has collected 16 out of his 29 wins. Most recently joining this group is Jon Morrison (133) who has 12 wins with bonus points attached.
Catching Fire
After an uncharacteristically poor start, the Cowboys won seven of their last eight duals of the season. The Pokes started their run downing No. 18 Iowa State, 29-3. Just a week later, they went on to handily defeat No. 10 Mizzou, 28-6. At the beginning of February, the Cowboys ran over the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners, 37-6, before taking care of in-state rival and No. 10 Oklahoma, 29-9. The Pokes recently shutout Clarion, 45-0, in their last road trip of the year. In their last two home duals of the year, the Cowboys put down Arizona State, 29-10, and American, 43-6. In each of their last six wins, the Cowboys have won at least seven of their 10 bouts.
What's Going on in the Conference
The Cowboys finished the Big 12 dual competition with a perfect 3-0 record, handily defeating each of their opponents. Earlier this season, the Pokes suffered a 19-18 loss to Oklahoma in Norman in a non-conference dual, thus not affecting the conference record. The Pokes finished with their 12th Big 12 championship and 48th overall conference title.
Caldwell Gets 100
Tyler Caldwell earned his 100th career win with his 19-1 technical fall over Curt Maas of Northern Iowa in his first match of the Joe Parisi Open on Nov. 23. He placed first at the tourney and now boasts a career total of 122-28.
He put together a 63-20 record while at OU and finished a 35-5 campaign as a Cowboy during the 2012-13 season.
Loaded Lineup
The Cowboys returned five All-Americans for the 2013-14 season in Jon Morrison, Alex Dieringer, Tyler Caldwell, Blake Rosholt and 2013 national champion Chris Perry. Of the other five Cowboys in the lineup, three are NCAA qualifiers.
In total, the Oklahoma State lineup combines for one national champion, 13 Big 12 champions and eight All-Americans.
Cowboy Comebacks
Josh Kindig and Austin Marsden return to the Cowboy lineup after taking redshirts during the 2012-13 season. Kindig spent two years in the lineup as a true freshman and a sophomore before taking a year off. As a starter, Kindig produced a third-place and runner-up finish at Big 12s and was a two-time NCAA qualifier.
Marsden was taken from his redshirt late in the 2011-12 season after starting heavyweight Alan Gelogaev suffered a season-ending injury. Marsden went on to finish second at the Big 12 Championships and qualify for NCAAs as a true freshman.
Last Time Out
Big 12 Championship Finals
March 8, 2014 :: McCasland Field House (Norman, Okla.) :: Attendance - 2,008
125: No. 1 Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. No. 2 Eddie Klimara (OSU), 4-3
133: No. 1 Jon Morrison (OSU) dec. No. 2 Cody Brewer (OU), 8-1
141: No. 2 Anthony Collica (OSU) dec. No. 4 Gabe Moreno (ISU), 4-2
149: No. 1 Kendric Maple (OU) dec. No. 2 Josh Kindig (OSU), 6-3
157: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (OSU) dec. No. 2 Justin DeAngelis (OU), 8-3
165: No. 1 Tyler Caldwell (OSU) MD No. 2 Michael Moreno (ISU), 12-1
174: No. 2 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. No. 1 Andrew Howe (OU), 3-2
184: No. 3 Lelund Weatherspoon (ISU) dec. No. 1 Nolan Boyd (OSU), 4-3
197: No. 1 Kyven Gadson (ISU) dec. No. 2 Travis Rutt (OU), 3-3 TB2 (on criteria)
285: No. 1 Austin Marsden (OSU) dec. No. 2 A.J. Vizcarrondo (WVU), 5-2
All-Time Dual Wins Leaders
As of March 5, 2014
1. Oklahoma State 1,053-120-23
2. Iowa State 1,036-296-20
3. Oregon State 993-325-28
4. Iowa 941-225-31
5. Minnesota 921-428-24
Signing Day Recap
In mid-November, John Smith announced the signing of six wrestlers during the 2013 early signing period.
Headlining the class is No. 1 overall recruit Chance Marsteller of Fawn Grove, Pa. The senior carries a perfect 125-0 record into his senior season. Joining him is three-time Washington state champion and No. 9 overall recruit Chandler Rogers, who moved to Stillwater, Okla., for his senior season.
The Cowboys scored other nationally ranked recruits in No. 21 Ryan Blees from North Dakota, No. 49 Gary Wayne Harding, a Collinsville, Okla., native, and No. 62 Mike Magaldo of New Jersey.
The final signee for the Pokes was Cedar City, Utah, native Dusty Hone.
ASICS All-Americans Live Here
There are three different wrestlers on this year's Oklahoma State roster who were ASICS first-team All-Americans during their prep days:
Chris Perry 2009
Josh Kindig 2010
Jordan Rogers 2012
Fargo Champs, Too
There are five different wrestlers on this year's Oklahoma State wrestling roster who won titles at the ASICS Junior Freestyle National Championships in Fargo, N.D., during their prep days:
Jon Morrison 2007
Chris Perry 2008
Alex Dieringer 2011
Jordan Rogers 2011
Anthony Collica 2012 and 2013
Coached by the Best
Members of the Oklahoma State wrestling staff combine for six world championships, two Olympic gold medals and an Olympic bronze.
They also combine for seven NCAA championships and 14 All-America honors. The breakdown:
Olympic Medalists
John Smith 1988 and 1992 Gold
Coleman Scott 2012 Bronze
Senior World Championships Medalists
John Smith 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991 Gold
NCAA Individual Championships
John Smith 1987, 1988
Eric Guerrero 1997, 1998, 1999
Zack Esposito 2005
Coleman Scott 2008
