Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Seek 12th Big 12 Tournament Title
March 07, 2014 | Cowboy Wrestling
March 7, 2014
WR notes - Big 12 Championship
The Basics
The Oklahoma State wrestling squad, ranked No. 4 by the Intermat tournament rankings, heads to Norman, Okla., on Saturday to compete for its 12th Big 12 tournament title. The tourney will take place in the McCasland Field House with semifinals starting at 3 p.m., consolations at 5 p.m. and finals at 7 p.m. This marks the fourth time the Sooners have hosted the Big 12 Wrestling Championship.
Live Stats
Fans can follow the action online through live results on www.Big12Sports.com. Simply go to the site and click on the wrestling link found under the Championship tab.
Watch the Tournament Live
Big 12 fans will be able to watch the entire 2014 Big 12 Wrestling Championship. The event's semifinal matches at 3 p.m. CT as well as the consolation round beginning at 5 p.m. will be shown live on the Big 12 Digital Network powered by Campus Insiders on Big12Sports.com. Championship rounds will be broadcast live on the FOX Sports family of networks beginning at 7:00 p.m.
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 semifinals will be on 780 AM, while the rest of the dual can be heard on 93.7 FM. The audio stream can also be heard live on okstate.tv, but a subscription is required to listen online.
In the Polls
Oklahoma State enters the conference championship ranked No. 4 in Intermat's tournament rankings. Oklahoma and Iowa State check in at No. 6 and No. 15, respectively. West Virginia does not carry a ranking. In the USA Today/NWCA/AWN/Division 1 Coaches Poll, OSU is ranked No. 6, while OU is 14 and ISU is 15.
Ten of OSU's potential starters are ranked among the top 20 in the nation at their respective weight classes in at least one poll, including a No. 1 ranking by Intermat and W.I.N Magazine for 157 pounder Alex Dieringer and a unanimous No. 2 ranking for 174-pound defending national champion Chris Perry. Tyler Caldwell earned a No. 2 ranking from W.I.N. Magazine at 165 pounds, and OSU's 133-pounder, Jon Morrison, is No. 4 in each poll.
The tournament field includes 29 ranked wrestlers. The Sooners have nine wrestlers ranked, while Iowa State has six and West Virginia has four.
2013 Big 12 Championship Standings
1. Oklahoma State 118.5 points
2. Iowa State 74 points
3. Oklahoma 58 points
4. West Virginia 28 points
The Champs Are Here
At the 2013 Big 12 tournament, the Pokes broke a couple of records en route to earning their 13th Big 12 tournament title (including the 2012 and 2013 regular season titles). The Cowboys shattered the record for most team points scored in the tourney with 118.5 and for the most individual champions with eight.
The Cowboys also earned the Big 12 regular season title for the second time in just as many attempts.
Cowboys Return Five Big 12 Champions
Oklahoma State returns five of its eight Big 12 champions from last season in Eddie Klimara, Jon Morrison, Alex Dieringer, Tyler Caldwell and Chris Perry. Jordan Oliver, Chris Chionuma and Alan Gelogaev also won titles last year.
Eddie Klimara and Alex Dieringer became the 17th and 18th freshmen in OSU history to win a conference title.
Klimara won his as a true freshman and Dieringer won his as a redshirt freshman.
The last Cowboy to win a Big 12 title as a freshman was Chris Perry in 2011.
Cowboys At the Conference Meet
When Oklahoma State takes the mat for the Big 12 Championships, it will be hunting its 12th Big 12 tournament title in 18 attempts since the league held its first championship in 1997.
The Cowboys have won 47 team conference titles all-time (including the 2012 and 2013 regular season titles), claiming six Southwest Conference championships from 1917-25, four Missouri Valley Conference championships from 1925-28, 24 Big Eight Conference championships from 1958-96 and 13 Big 12 Conference championships (including the 2012 and 2013 regular season titles) from 1997-present.
Cowboy wrestlers have combined to win 249 conference individual titles through the years - one in the Southwest Conference, 23 in the Missouri Valley Conference, 151 in the Big Eight Conference and 71 in the Big 12.
John Smith At The Conference Meet
John Smith has led the Cowboys to 15 conference championships (including the 2012 and 2013 regular season titles) and has coached 82 individual conference champs since taking over the program in 1991-92.
Under Smith, Oklahoma State has finished either first or second at the conference meet 17 times in 20 eligible years (Smith inherited an OSU program that was on probation at the time of his hiring and was not eligible to compete for the conference crown his first two seasons.)
He is a 10-time selection as Big 12 Coach of the Year to go with his two Big Eight Coach of the Year accolades.
Perry Primed for No. 4
Chris Perry enters the Big 12 tournament looking to become the fifth Cowboy wrestler to earn four individual conference titles. In 2011, Perry defeated 10th-ranked Josh Ihnen of Nebraska in a 3-2 tiebreaker thriller. His second title came when he handily defeated No. 15 Dorian Henderson of Mizzou, 8-2. Last season, Perry snagged his third Big 12 title, shutting out 20th-ranked Tanner Weatherman of Iowa State, 8-0.
The only other Cowboys to have done this were Steve Barrett (1974-77), Perry's uncle LeeRoy Smith (1977-80), Johnny Thompson (2001-04), and most recently, Jordan Oliver (2010-13).
OSU Statistical Leaders
Wins: 28, Nolan Boyd
Bonus Point Wins: 15, Boyd and Dieringer
Wins by Fall: 11, Jordan Rogers
Wins by Technical Fall: 4, Dieringer and Perry
Wins by Major Decision: 7, Eddie Klimara
Dual Takedowns: 46, Jon Morrison
Dual Nearfalls: 15, 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.
Chris Perry earned the first and second Big 12 honor on Dec. 16 after earning his 100th career win and on Feb. 17 after he took out fifth-ranked Matt Brown of Penn State in State College, Pa.
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.
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.
Dominating the Field
The competitors in this weekend's tournament are no strangers to one another. The Cowboys have compiled a 25-7 record against the Big 12 tourney field this season. Among the probable starters listed for this year's field at the conference championships, three Cowboys put together unblemished records. Jon Morrison and Tyler
Caldwell both went 4-0, while Alex Dieringer finished 2-0.
In their careers, the 10 starting Cowboys have collectively strung together a 40-13 record against the 2014 Big 12 tourney competitors.
Final Bid for a Big 12 Title
Four Cowboy wrestlers will compete in their final Big 12 tournament. Stillwater, Okla., native Chris Perry seeks his fourth Big 12 title. The first came in 2011 at 184 pounds. In 2012 and 2013, Perry won titles at 174 pounds. Jon Morrison competed in his first conference championships at 125 pounds, finishing fifth and third, respectively. In 2013, he won a Big 12 title at 133 pounds. Blake Rosholt will compete in his third conference championship after finishing second last season. His redshirt freshman season, Rosholt competed in the heavyweight bracket. During the 2012 season, Rosholt lost the starting spot to eventual All-American Cayle Byers. Tyler Caldwell will compete in his fourth Big 12 tourney and second as a Cowboy. Caldwell finished second and third in his first two seasons while at OU. Last season, he won his first conference crown at 165 pounds.
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, 76 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 several of their opponents with Dieringer bringing in 10 pins and Rogers collecting 11. Chris Perry (174) has earned 14 bonus-point wins out of his 22 wins and Nolan Boyd (184/197) has collected 15 out of his 28 wins. Most recently joining this group is Jon Morrison (133) who has 11 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 seven 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 will face their Big 12 foes again on March 8 in the Big 12 Championships in Norman, Okla.
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 120-28.
He put together a 63-20 record while at OU and finished a 35-5 campaign as a Cowboy during the 2012-13 season.
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 115-11 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.
Loaded Lineup
The Cowboys return 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, four are NCAA qualifiers.
In total, the Oklahoma State lineup combines for one national champion, seven 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
No. 6 Oklahoma State 43, American 6
March 2, 2014 :: Gallagher-Iba Arena (Stillwater, Okla.) :: Attendance - 1,805
125: No. 17 Eddie Klimara (OSU) wins by forfeit
133: No. 4 Jon Morrison (OSU) dec. Esteban Gomez-Rivera (AU), 9-3
141: No. 20 Anthony Collica (OSU) dec. Spencer Slishman (AU), 8-3
149: No. 10 Josh Kindig (OSU) fall Cole Moseley (AU), 3:25
157: John Boyle (AU) fall Colton Thomas (OSU), 3:13
165: No. 5 Tyler Caldwell (OSU) fall Cristian Mayasa (AU), 1:54
174: No. 2 Chris Perry (OSU) fall Keithen Cast (AU), 4:36
184: Nolan Boyd (OSU) MD Jason Grimes (AU), 10-1
197: Blake Rosholt (OSU) fall Brett Dempsey (AU), 2:48
285: No. 17 Austin Marsden (OSU) dec. Blake Herrin (AU), 4-3
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, an Oklahoma 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
