Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Wrestling Signs Four Oklahomans
November 16, 2016 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team has signed four Oklahomans to National Letters of Intent, head coach John Smith announced Wednesday. Daton Fix, Christian Bahl, Jet Taylor and Kaden Gfeller will join the Cowboys in the fall of 2017.
"We didn't have to go far from home for this class," Smith said. We signed four Oklahoma kids, which is exciting for me. This is a good start, and we'll finish up in April."
Sand Springs native Daton Fix enters his senior season looking for his fourth state championship at Sand Springs High School. Coming off a 46-0 junior season, his overall high school record stands at a perfect 119-0. Fix was a 2015 Fargo National Freestyle Champion at 120 pounds and earned the bronze medal at the 2016 Junior World Championships earlier this year.
"Signing Daton Fix was the key to this class," Smith said. "I'm very excited about him choosing Oklahoma State. Our families have been together for a long time. His dad and I wrestled here at Oklahoma State. He's been very successful not only at Sand Springs, but representing the United States as well. He's a great young man that has great habits and everything that a coach is looking for."
Jet Taylor of Sallisaw High School signs with the Cowboys after winning his second-straight Oklahoma 4A State Championship at 120 pounds. With the win, Taylor was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the state tournament and became Sallisaw's 11th multiple-time state champion. This summer he also earned Fargo All-American status, finishing third in Greco-Roman and sixth in freestyle at the FargoDome.
"Jet Taylor is probably a lifetime 125-pounder, although he's won state championships at 132," Smith said. "I think that he could probably compete at 125 or 133, but more than likely, he's going to be a 125-pounder. He is very competitive. One thing I like about Jet is that he's searched for workout partners. He's wherever the workouts are, and that's always been impressive to me."
Hailing from Oklahoma City where he attends Heritage Hall, Kaden Gfeller is a three-time Oklahoma state champion, coming off a 132-pound 3A state title in February. Gfeller is a multiple-time Fargo All-American, most recently placing third at the 2015 Junior Men's Freestyle Nationals.
"Kaden Gfeller, to me, could be 141, 149, 157 in the future," Smith said. "He's just a kid that could grow into a heavier weight. We'll see. He's had a solid effort in his high school performance and has proven himself nationally throughout the last several years."
Stillwater High School product Christian Bahl is coming off an Oklahoma 6A State Championship at 160 pounds last February. He's racked up a 163-24 career record in high school, and is a three-time state placer while earning five all-conference honors. Bahl, who is a three-time national team member for both Oklahoma and Minnesota, has also excelled in football where he was a varsity starter all four years of his high school career.
"Christian Bahl is a state champion at 160," Smith said. "He's our wild card. I think Christian has got a great upside to him. He loves to win, and he hates to lose. There are a lot of characteristics there that give us a lot of hope into developing him into anywhere from 174 to 184. He's got the height and size to grow, so that's our goal."
The current Cowboy wrestling roster features more of a local taste than usual with 22 of its 39 total wrestlers hailing from Oklahoma. With the addition of the four newest Cowboys, OSU has signed nine Oklahomans in the last three years.
"We didn't have to go far from home for this class," Smith said. We signed four Oklahoma kids, which is exciting for me. This is a good start, and we'll finish up in April."
Sand Springs native Daton Fix enters his senior season looking for his fourth state championship at Sand Springs High School. Coming off a 46-0 junior season, his overall high school record stands at a perfect 119-0. Fix was a 2015 Fargo National Freestyle Champion at 120 pounds and earned the bronze medal at the 2016 Junior World Championships earlier this year.
"Signing Daton Fix was the key to this class," Smith said. "I'm very excited about him choosing Oklahoma State. Our families have been together for a long time. His dad and I wrestled here at Oklahoma State. He's been very successful not only at Sand Springs, but representing the United States as well. He's a great young man that has great habits and everything that a coach is looking for."
Jet Taylor of Sallisaw High School signs with the Cowboys after winning his second-straight Oklahoma 4A State Championship at 120 pounds. With the win, Taylor was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the state tournament and became Sallisaw's 11th multiple-time state champion. This summer he also earned Fargo All-American status, finishing third in Greco-Roman and sixth in freestyle at the FargoDome.
"Jet Taylor is probably a lifetime 125-pounder, although he's won state championships at 132," Smith said. "I think that he could probably compete at 125 or 133, but more than likely, he's going to be a 125-pounder. He is very competitive. One thing I like about Jet is that he's searched for workout partners. He's wherever the workouts are, and that's always been impressive to me."
Hailing from Oklahoma City where he attends Heritage Hall, Kaden Gfeller is a three-time Oklahoma state champion, coming off a 132-pound 3A state title in February. Gfeller is a multiple-time Fargo All-American, most recently placing third at the 2015 Junior Men's Freestyle Nationals.
"Kaden Gfeller, to me, could be 141, 149, 157 in the future," Smith said. "He's just a kid that could grow into a heavier weight. We'll see. He's had a solid effort in his high school performance and has proven himself nationally throughout the last several years."
Stillwater High School product Christian Bahl is coming off an Oklahoma 6A State Championship at 160 pounds last February. He's racked up a 163-24 career record in high school, and is a three-time state placer while earning five all-conference honors. Bahl, who is a three-time national team member for both Oklahoma and Minnesota, has also excelled in football where he was a varsity starter all four years of his high school career.
"Christian Bahl is a state champion at 160," Smith said. "He's our wild card. I think Christian has got a great upside to him. He loves to win, and he hates to lose. There are a lot of characteristics there that give us a lot of hope into developing him into anywhere from 174 to 184. He's got the height and size to grow, so that's our goal."
The current Cowboy wrestling roster features more of a local taste than usual with 22 of its 39 total wrestlers hailing from Oklahoma. With the addition of the four newest Cowboys, OSU has signed nine Oklahomans in the last three years.
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