Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Northern Colorado
Cowboy Wrestling Heads West
December 13, 2018 | Cowboy Wrestling
Dual Details
Opponent: Northern Colorado (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)
Date/Time: Dec. 16, 2018/3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Bank of Colorado Arena
Series: OSU leads 14-0-1, 6-0-1 in Greeley
TV: PlutoTVÂ
Radio: 93.7 KSPI-FMÂ
Live Stats: Trackwrestling.com
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Cowboy Quick Hits
The Cowboys moved to 4-0 on the season a week ago with a 41-2 victory over Oklahoma. All-American Preston Weigel made his return to the mat winning a first-period technical fall for the Cowboys. His win was one of six that came with bonus points attached in the dual with the Sooners. Each Cowboy starter is ranked at his respective weight this week, and six of those land inside the top 10. John Smith moved to 415-62-6 with the win, positioning himself only six wins away from tying Jack Childs and T.J. Kerr for fifth on the all-time wrestling coaching wins list. Nick Piccininni (125), Daton Fix (133), Kaden Gfeller (149), Jacobe Smith (174), Dakota Geer (184) and Preston Weigel (197) all remain undefeated on the year.Â
The Basics
Sunday's dual marks the second meeting in Greeley, Colo., for the two teams in the past two years. The Cowboys are 6-0-1 against the Bears in Greeley and have never lost in the series, compiling a 14-0-1 record, the tie coming in 1963. Since 1964, the Cowboys have won nine-straight duals against the Bears. OSU won the dual in Greeley last season, 37-4, marking the first time since 2010 that the Pokes didn't get a shutout over UNC. John Smith is 5-0 in his head coaching career against Northern Colorado.
Ranked Bouts
At 125 pounds, No. 3 Nick Piccininni meets Northern Colorado's Rico Montoya. The 16th-ranked Bear holds a 5-1 record with his lone loss coming at Hofstra from Dylan Ryder. A battle of unbeatens is set at 197 pounds between No. 7 Preston Weigel and Jacob Seely. Seely is No. 12 according to The Open Mat and is Win Magazine's No. 15 wrestler at 197 pounds.Â
Reno Tournament of Champions
The Cowboys travel directly from Colorado to Nevada in preparation for the 2018 Reno Tournament of Champions. The field features 22 teams including Arizona State, Michigan State, Stanford and Wyoming. The Cowboys last won the RTOC in 2016 when their backups competed at the event. That lineup included the likes of Derek White and Boo Lewallen, who both brought home gold. In 2017, Daton Fix won his first collegiate competition when he swept the 125-pound bracket in Reno. Boo Lewallen (149) finished third and Kaden Gfeller brought home fourth at 141 pounds. This year OSU sends its starting lineup, backups and a few redshirt wrestlers to the one-day event. Tournament action begins on Dec. 20th at 8:45 a.m. MT and wraps up at 6 p.m. with placement matches. The Cowboys' starting lineup and others will wrestle at the competition.
What to Watch
OSU redshirts have combined to win eight tournament titles at three weights this season, additionally earning two top-three finishes. Colton Denney of Heritage Hall won the OCU Open, with three bonus-point wins, then a close finals bout with Cowboy teammate Gavin Stika. Denney went on to win the 165-pound title at Lindenwood before notching two falls en route to a Bob Smith Open title. Travis Wittlake joins Denney with three first-place finishes of his own. The Coos Bay, Ore. native finished first at OCU with four bonus-point victories at 174 pounds before nabbing first at Lindenwood with two majors and a technical fall. The Cowboy kicked off December with another tournament win at the Bob Smith Open. After finishing third in his inaugural tournament, Anthony Montalvo has been on a tear, finishing atop the podium and winning each match by major decision, technical fall or pin. He has recorded nine falls on the year as well as three technical falls and two major decisions, bringing 184-pound titles back to Stillwater from Lindenwood and the Bob Smith Open.
Players Mentioned
