Cowboys Open 2017 at Southern Scuffle

Sunday, January 1

Chattanooga, TN

TBA

Oklahoma State University

Southern Scuffle

December 30, 2016 | Cowboy Wrestling

Full PDF Notes
FloArena Live Stats

STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team will send a host of starters and reserves to Chattanooga, Tenn., this weekend to compete at the Southern Scuffle. Action at the Scuffle is set to begin Sunday, Jan. 1 and run through Monday, Jan. 2. Wrestling starts at 9 a.m. CT both days.

Watch the Cowboys
Fans can watch the Cowboys compete at the Southern Scuffle live on FloWrestling.org.

Live Stats and Play-by-Play
Fans can follow the action online through live results and play-by-play on FloArena. Simply go to FloWrestling.org and the link to FloArena will be on the top navigation bar of the page..

Listen to the Dual Live
Fans can listen to the dual live on 93.7 KSPI-FM or okstate.com with Rex Holt and Roger Moore on the call.

About the Cowboys
Facing the challenge of replacing three starters from last season's squad, including three-time NCAA Champion Alex Dieringer and two-time All-American Austin Marsden, the 2016-17 Oklahoma State wrestling team is up to the task of chasing the program's 35th team championship.

There is reason for optimism, as the Pokes' roster boasts plenty of wrestlers that can make an impact this season. Head coach John Smith returns 2016 NCAA Champion at 141 pounds Dean Heil, along with All-Americans Nolan Boyd, Anthony Collica and Joe Smith from an NCAA Runner-Up finish at the NCAA Championships in Madison Square Garden last spring.

The Cowboys have started the 2016-17 campaign off strong, winning four of their first five dual matches by 30 points or more, including a 39-0 shutout of Pittsburgh earlier this month. The Pokes are looking to build off a 23-19 victory over No. 8 Cornell in Gallagher-Iba Arena in their last time out.

Along with Smith, who enters his 26th season at the helm of the Oklahoma State wrestling program, the Cowboys are led by associate head coaches Eric Guerrero and Zack Esposito, along with volunteer assistant coach Chris Perry.

In the Polls
The Cowboys enter this weekend's tournament ranked No. 1 in both the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll and the Intermat Tournament Rankings.

Individually, Oklahoma State has all 10 starters ranked in each of the four major national polls. Returning NCAA Champion 141-pounder Dean Heil remains slotted at No. 1 in all four major polls. Aside from Heil, seven other Cowboys received top-eight rankings from Intermat, including Kaid Brock (133, No. 5), Anthony Collica (149, No. 3), Joe Smith (157, No. 3), Kyle Crutchmer (174, No. 6), Nolan Boyd (184, No. 6) and Preston Weigel (197, No. 5). At 125 pounds, Nick Piccininni is ranked No. 12 by Intermat, while Chandler Rogers is ranked 10th at 165 and heavyweight Austin Schafer comes in at No. 11.

History at the Southern Scuffle
This year's appearance in Chattanooga marks the Cowboy's fifth consecutive appearance at the Southern Scuffle. Oklahoma State has brought home 12 total individual championships at the event since 2013, with three Cowboys having won titles each year.

The Cowboys have finished in the top three in each appearance at the Southern Scuffle, coming in second three of the last four years. The team's only third place outing came in 2015.

Last season, the Cowboys finished second in the team race behind championship performances from Dean Heil (141), Alex Dieringer (165), and Austin Marsden (HWT). Dean Heil will look to become the fifth Cowboy to win multiple Southern Scuffle championships. With a win this week, he would join Dieringer (three titles), Marsden (two titles), Jon Morrison (two titles) and Chris Perry (two titles).

Last Time Out
Despite no starters making the trip, the Oklahoma State wrestling team brought home the Reno Tournament of Champions team title on Dec. 18 behind individual championship performances from Boo Lewallen, Jordan Rogers and Derek White. Competing in the first collegiate event of his career, Lewallen was also named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. In all, OSU wrestlers combined for 12 medals at the event.

Cowboy Medalists - Reno Tournament of Champions
125: Eli Hale (2nd), Zac Gentzler (4th)
133: Mike Magaldo (3rd), Lincoln Olson (5th)
141: Boo Lewallen (1st), Tristan Moran (3rd)
149: Geo Martinez (5th)
157: Davey Dolan (3rd)
165: Hestin Lamons (6th)
174: Jordan Rogers (1st)
197: Derek White (1st)
HWT: Tanner Allen (5th)

A Look at the Field
Aside from the top-ranked Cowboys, the 2017 Southern Scuffle field is filled with a number of competitive squads, including No. 5 Missouri, No. 8 Cornell, No. 9 Lehigh, No. 13 Minnesota, No. 16 Stanford, No. 21 Appalachian State, No. 22 Northern Iowa and No. 25 Drexel. Others in the field along with host Chattanooga are Air Force, Campbell, The Citadel, Cleveland State, Duke, Edinboro, Gardner-Webb, Navy, North Carolina, Northern Colorado, Penn and Utah Valley.

The teams in the field combine for 25 All-Americans, three NCAA Champions, 72 currently ranked in the top-20 and 40 ranked in the top 10.

Cowboy Lineup
The Cowboys will bring a number of starters and reserves to Chattanooga this week. All 10 Cowboy starters will make the trip, along with reserves Eli Hale (125), Boo Lewallen (141), Tristan Moran (141), Jonce Blaylock (149), Davey Dolan (157), Hestin Lamons (165), Jordan Rogers (174), Derek White (197) and Tanner Allen (HWT).