Oklahoma State University Athletics
No. 8 Wrestling Faces WVU, Pitt
January 14, 2015 | Cowboy Wrestling
The Basics
No. 8 Oklahoma State hosts West Virginia and Pittsburgh in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., respectively. The Cowboys lead the series against WVU, 9-0, and are tied with Pittsburgh in the series, 1-1.
Live Stats And Play-by-Play
Fans can follow the action online through live results and play-by-play on www.trackwrestling.com. Simply go to the site and the link to live results and play-by-play will be prominently displayed.
Watch the Duals Live
The dual will be streamed live online at okstate.tv. To access the dual, simply select the dual from the list of live events directly under the video player. Okstate.tv is a subscription-based service. To subscribe, click on the "Subscribe" link on the top right-hand portion of the main okstate.tv screen.
Listen to the Duals Live
The duals will be aired live on 93.7 KSPI FM radio in Stillwater with Rex Holt and Roger Moore on the call. 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 dual vs. the Mountaineers ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/NWCA/Division I Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the Intermat dual team rankings. Pittsburgh comes to Stillwater ranked No. 9 by the USA Today/NWCA/Division I Coaches Poll and No. 12 by Intermat's dual team rankings. WVU is ranked No. 23 in the Intermat rankings.
The Cowboys are the top-ranked team from the Big 12 in both the USA Today/NWCA/Division I Coaches Poll and the Intermat rankings.
Nine of the Cowboy'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 for defending national champion Alex Dieringer from Amateur Wrestling News, The Open Mat, Intermat and WIN Magazine.
Pittsburgh brings four wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their weight classes by Intermat, with 174-pounder Max Thomusseit leading the way with a No. 2 ranking. WVU has no wrestlers in the Intermat rankings.
2014 Recap
The Oklahoma State wrestling team finished the 2013-14 season by producing two individual national champions and three other All-Americans, as well as a Big 12 tournament title. The Cowboys turned in an 11-5 overall dual record and a perfect 3-0 conference record.
At the NCAA tournament, the Cowboys sent four to the finals, including Josh Kindig (149), Alex Dieringer (157), Tyler Caldwell (165) and Chris Perry (174). Dieringer and Perry came out on top, while Kindig and Caldwell each finished runner-up in tight matches. Austin Marsden was the fifth All-American for the squad, finishing eighth at heavyweight.
The Pokes crowned six Big 12 champions in Dieringer, Caldwell, Perry, Marsden, Jon Morrison and Anthony Collica.
Last Meeting vs. West Virginia
No. 5 Oklahoma State 30, West Virginia 6
Jan. 18, 2014 :: WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, W.Va.) :: 6:30 p.m.
125: Eddie Klimara (OSU) dec. Cory Stainbrook (WVU), 7-2
133: No. 5 Jon Morrison (OSU) MD Nathan Pennesi (WVU), 14-4
141: Colin Johnston (WVU) dec. No. 11 Anthony Collica (OSU), 8-4
149: No. 7 Josh Kindig (OSU) dec. Mike Morales (WVU), 6-2
157: No. 2 Alex Dieringer (OSU) fall Brutus Scheffel (WVU), 4:27
165: No. 5 Tyler Caldwell (OSU) dec. Ross Renzi (WVU), 6-1
174: No. 2 Chris Perry (OSU) MD Bubba Scheffel (WVU), 16-6
184: No. 18 Nolan Boyd (OSU) MD Mac Mancuso (WVU), 13-1
197: Leo Trindade (WVU) dec. Darnell Bortz (OSU), 8-6
285: No. 16 Austin Marsden (OSU) dec. AJ Vizcarrondo (WVU), 4-1
Last Meeting vs. Pittsburgh
No. 13 Pittsburgh 19, No. 5 Oklahoma State 18
Jan. 19, 2014 :: Fitzgerald Field House (Pittsburgh, Pa.) :: 1 p.m.
125: Eddie Klimara (OSU) MD Anthony Zanetta (PITT), 15-4
133: No. 5 Jon Morrison (OSU) dec. No. 17 Shelton Mack (PITT), 2-0
141: Edgar Bright (PITT) dec. No. 11 Anthony Collica (OSU), 10-5
149: Mike Racciato (PITT) fall No. 7 Josh Kindig (OSU), 1:37
157: No. 2 Alex Dieringer (OSU) TF5 Eric Nutter (PITT), 17-0
165: No. 5 Tyler Caldwell (OSU) dec. Geno Morelli (PITT), 3-1
174: No. 2 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. No. 7 Tyler Wilps (PITT), 5-4 TB1
184: No. 7 Max Thomusseit (PITT) dec. No. 18 Nolan Boyd (OSU), 8-6
197: No. 20 Nick Bonaccorsi (PITT) dec. Kyle Crutchmer (OSU), 3-1 SV1
285: PJ Tasser (PITT) dec. No. 16 Austin Marsden (OSU), 3-1 SV1
*Pittsburgh won on criteria
75 and Counting
Returning NCAA champion Alex Dieringer earned his 75th career win on Nov. 29, defeating No. 14 Nick Wanzek of Minnesota in Minneapolis with a 9-2 decision. The win puts him in the hunt to join Oklahoma State's 100-Win Club. The junior boasts a 83-4-0 record with 54 bonus-point wins. Of those bonus-points victories, 27 were wins by fall.
Josh Kindig joins Dieringer in the milestone as he picked up his 75th career win and first Southern Scuffle title, defeating No. 4 Drake Houdashelt in the 149-pound finals, 5-3, on Jan. 2. He carries a 75-30 career record.
Boyd Named Best in the Big 12 Again
Sophomore 184-pounder Nolan Boyd was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for his performance against the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes.
It was Boyd's second Big 12 weekly honor of the season as well as his career, with his first coming on Dec. 22 for his championship performance at the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Boyd, now 17-3, knocked off his second top-10 opponent of the season and improved to 3-2 against ranked opponents when he defeated No. 7 Sammy Brooks of Iowa. Falling to a 5-1 deficit in the first half of the match, Boyd was awarded a takedown and three nearfall points to end the second period. He finished the match off with an escape to start the third period and a late takedown to seal the win.
Dieringer Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Month
Oklahoma State junior wrestler Alex Dieringer earned the second Big 12 honor of his career as he was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Month for November.
After bumping up a weight class since last season, the returning NCAA champion has continued to turn in dominating performances. He started the season with a 4-2 win over No. 2 Nick Sulzer of Virginia at the NWCA All-Star Classic. On Nov. 17, the Cowboys kicked off the dual season with a double-header in Miami, Okla., where Dieringer recorded a 13-0 major decision and a 17-1 technical fall. The following weekend, he tallied four falls and a major decision en route to winning the 165-pound title at the Joe Parisi Open. Most recently, Dieringer defeated No. 14 Nick Wanzek of second-ranked Minnesota, 9-2, in a road dual.
So far, the 165-pounder is 8-0 on the season with a 3-0 mark in dual action. Of his eight wins, seven came with bonus-points attached, including four falls, two major decisions and a technical fall.
Dieringer, Kindig Compete at NWCA All-Star Classic
Returning national champion Alex Dieringer and 2014 NCAA finalist Josh Kindig were selected to compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic, which was held on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dieringer won his debut match at 165 pounds, defeating No. 2 Nick Sulzer, a two-time All-American for the University of Virginia, 4-1.
Kindig suffered a 4-1 loss to No. 1 Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern in a rematch of the 2014 149-pound finals.
Look Who's Back
Returning to the Cowboy lineup for the 2014-15 season is an NCAA champion, two other All-Americans and three Big 12 champions.
Junior Alex Dieringer earned his first NCAA individual title at 157 pounds during his sophomore campaign and also picked up his second Big 12 championship while going 32-1 on the year.
Josh Kindig, a senior for the Pokes, grabbed his first All-America honor after finishing second at the 2014 NCAA Championships.
Austin Marsden also received All-American status in 2014 when he finished eighth at the national tournament. In addition, the junior picked up a Big 12 title in 2014 at 285 pounds.
NCAA qualifier and 2014 Big 12 champion Anthony Collica is another notable returner for OSU.
Switching It Up
Junior Alex Dieringer, the 2014 NCAA champion at 157 pounds, is making the move to 165 pounds this season. Taking his place at 157 pounds, is sophomore Anthony Collica, who is moving up from 141 pounds, where he won the 2014 Big 12 title. Also changing weight classes are sophomores Kyle Crutchmer and Jordan Rogers, who will step down from 184 pounds to battle it out for the 174-pound starting spot.
Welcome to Oklahoma State
The Cowboy Wrestling squad welcomes two transfers this season in Luke Bean and Kyle Garcia.
Garcia traded in his crimson and cream for orange and black, transferring across the state from the University of Oklahoma. While at OU, Garcia compiled a 12-17 record his true freshman year at the starting 125-pound spot. He redshirted during the 2013-14 year and comes to OSU as a redshirt sophomore.
Bean, a transfer from Arizona State, strung together a 6-6 record during the 2013-14 season, his first season of varsity competition. He joins the Pokes as a sophomore.
Guerrero Inducted into National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Marsteller Honored
On June 21, 2014, associate head coach Eric Guerrero was one of four men inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member, the highest honor a wrestler can receive. Guerrero became the 26th Cowboy to receive the NWHOF Distinguished Member honor. He joined fellow Cowboy greats such as Ed Gallagher, Yojiro Uetake and John Smith.
Oklahoma State freshman Chance Marsteller was also honored by the NWHOF that weekend as the National Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award recipient.
Follow Cowboy Wrestling
Stay up to date with the Oklahoma State wrestling team on the following social media:
Twitter: @CowboyWrestling
Facebook: facebook.com/cowboywrestling
Instagram: @CowboyWrestling
Snapchat: OSUathletics
YouTube: youtube.com/osuathletics
Last Time Out
No. 1 Iowa 30, No. 8 Oklahoma State 7
Jan. 11, 2015 :: Stillwater, Okla. :: Attendance- 3,596
125: No. 5 Thomas Gilman (IOWA) MD No. 11 Eddie Klimara (OSU), 15-5
133: No. 5 Cory Clark (IOWA) dec. Gary Wayne Harding (OSU), 10-5
141: No. 8 Josh Dziewa (IOWA) fall No. 20 Dean Heil (OSU), 6:30
149: No. 5 Brandon Sorenson (IOWA) dec. No. 2 Josh Kindig (OSU), 6-1
157: No. 16 Mike Kelly (IOWA) dec. No. 18 Anthony Collica (OSU), 9-6
165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (OSU) MD Patrick Rhoads (IOWA), 20-8
174: No. 2 Mike Evans (IOWA) TF5 Jordan Rogers (OSU), 16-1
184: No. 15 Nolan Boyd (OSU) dec. No. 7 Sammy Brooks (IOWA), 9-6
197: No. 6 Nathan Burak (IOWA) dec. Luke Bean (OSU), 7-3
285: No. 1 Bobby Telford (IOWA) dec. No. 4 Austin Marsden (OSU), 4-3
All-Time Dual Wins Leaders
As of Jan. 14, 2014
1. Oklahoma State 1,057-122-23
2. Iowa State 1,042-298-20
3. Oregon State 1,004-326-28
4. Iowa 949-224-31
5. Minnesota 930-427-24
Signing Day Recap
In mid-November, John Smith announced the signing of seven wrestlers during the 2014 early signing period.
The signees include four Oklahoma natives and three out-of-state recruits. Hailing from Oklahoma are Stillwater High seniors Kaid Brock, Tristan Moran and Joe Smith, and Yukon senior Boo Lewallen.
Venturing to Oklahoma from out of state is Nick Piccininni of New York, Andrew Marsden of Illinois and Lincoln Olson of Michigan.
Brock and Piccininni are ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively at 126 pounds with Olson coming in at No. 8 at the weight. Smith (160), son of head coach John Smith, and Lewallen (132) are both tabbed as the No. 5 wrestlers in their respective weight classes. Marsden comes in at No. 6 at 220 pounds, and Moran, a 145-pounder is ranked No. 12 at his weight class.
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:
Josh Kindig 2010
Jordan Rogers 2012
Chance Marsteller 2014
Fargo Champs, Too
There are three 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:
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 and two Olympic gold medals.
They also combine for six NCAA championships and 10 All-America honors. The breakdown:
Olympic Medalists
John Smith 1988 and 1992 Gold
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
