Oklahoma State University Athletics
Four Cowboys Reach Quarterfinals of NCAA Wrestling Championships
March 21, 2019 | Cowboy Wrestling
Brackets After Session II
Session II Photo Gallery
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The No. 2 Oklahoma State wrestling team advanced four wrestlers to the quarterfinals of the 2019 NCAA Championships Thursday, including Nick Piccininni (125), Daton Fix (133), Preston Weigel (197) and Derek White (HWT).
The Cowboys finished the session with a 5-4 record and sit tied at fourth place in the team standings with eight of nine wrestlers still competing at the event.
"Each round gets a little tougher, and it's really important that as a team you get a little tougher," coach John Smith. "It wasn't the greatest round, but it wasn't bad. We pushed four to the quarters."
Piccininni was the first Cowboy to earn a spot in the quarterfinals, as he earned his second bonus point win of the day and improved to 32-0 on the season with a 13-2 major decision over No. 15 Elijah Oliver of Indiana.
The other three quarterfinalists won decisions over wrestlers seeded in the top half of the field as Fix claimed a 9-3 win over No. 16 Matthew Schmitt of West Virginia to improve to 33-1 in his freshman campaign, Weigel moved to 13-0 on the year with a 7-2 win over No. 14 Eric Schultz of Nebraska and No. 1 Derek White knocked off No. 16 Chase Singletary of Ohio State, 5-2, to improve to 30-1 on the year.
OSU's fifth win of the session came from Joe Smith in the first round of the consolation bracket as he knocked off No. 17 Jonathan Viruet of Brown, 3-1.
"It was good to see Joseph Smith come back," John Smith said. "He wrestled a kid from Brown in the consolations who was a dangerous kid who had a successful season. It was a good win for him in consolations, and we had good wins in those matches to get to the quarterfinals."
Kaid Brock (141), Jacobe Smith (174) and Dakota Geer (184) all reached Thursday night's championship bracket session, but fell in their matches to move to the second round of the consolation bracket. Freshman Kaden Gfeller also wrestled Thursday night in the consolation bracket, but bowed out of the tournament with a loss by decision to Joshua Maruca of Arizona State.
All eight of OSU's remaining wrestlers will compete Friday morning in session III of the NCAA Wrestling Championships at 10 a.m. central time, with the session televised live on ESPNU and every match on every mat available on watchespn.com.
2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships
March 21, 2019 | PPG Paints Arena | Pittsburgh, Pa.
Session II (Thursday Night) | Attendance: 17,957
Team Standings After Session II (Top 5)
1. Penn State – 32.5
2. Ohio State – 25.5
3. Iowa – 24.0
t4. Oklahoma State – 20.0
t4. Minnesota – 20.0
Championship Second Round
125: No. 2 Nick Piccininni (OSU) MD No. 15 Elijah Oliver (Indiana), 13-2
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) dec. No. 16 Matthew Schmitt (West Virginia), 9-3
141: No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) MD No. 15 Kaid Brock (OSU), 14-1
174: No. 10 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) dec. No. 7 Jacobe Smith (OSU), 8-4
184: No. 10 Samuel Colbray (Iowa State) dec. No. 26 Dakota Geer (OSU), 7-4
197: No. 3 Preston Weigel (OSU) dec. No. 14 Eric Schultz (Nebraska), 7-2
285: No. 1 Derek White (OSU) dec. No. 16 Chase Singletary (Ohio State), 5-2
Consolation First Round
149: No. 23 Joshua Maruca (Arizona State) dec. No. 7 Kaden Gfeller (OSU), 8-3
165: No. 33 Joe Smith (OSU) dec. No. 17 Jonathan Viruet (Brown), 3-1
Quarterfinals Schedule (Friday Morning)
125: No. 2 Nick Piccininni (OSU) vs. No. 7 Pat Glory (Princeton)
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) vs. No. 8 John Erneste (Missouri)
197: No. 3 Preston Weigel (OSU) vs. No. 11 Christian Brunner (Purdue)
285: No. 1 Derek White (OSU) vs. No. 9 Matt Stencel (Central Michigan)
Consolation Second Round Schedule (Friday Morning)
141: No. 15 Kaid Brock (OSU) vs. No. 17 Ian Parker (Iowa State)
165: No. 33 Joe Smith (OSU) vs. No. 15 Connor Flynn (Missouri)
174: No. 7 Jacobe Smith (OSU) vs. No. 25 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming)
184: No. 26 Dakota Geer (OSU) vs. No. 25 Max Lyon (Purdue)
Session II Photo Gallery
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The No. 2 Oklahoma State wrestling team advanced four wrestlers to the quarterfinals of the 2019 NCAA Championships Thursday, including Nick Piccininni (125), Daton Fix (133), Preston Weigel (197) and Derek White (HWT).
The Cowboys finished the session with a 5-4 record and sit tied at fourth place in the team standings with eight of nine wrestlers still competing at the event.
"Each round gets a little tougher, and it's really important that as a team you get a little tougher," coach John Smith. "It wasn't the greatest round, but it wasn't bad. We pushed four to the quarters."
Piccininni was the first Cowboy to earn a spot in the quarterfinals, as he earned his second bonus point win of the day and improved to 32-0 on the season with a 13-2 major decision over No. 15 Elijah Oliver of Indiana.
The other three quarterfinalists won decisions over wrestlers seeded in the top half of the field as Fix claimed a 9-3 win over No. 16 Matthew Schmitt of West Virginia to improve to 33-1 in his freshman campaign, Weigel moved to 13-0 on the year with a 7-2 win over No. 14 Eric Schultz of Nebraska and No. 1 Derek White knocked off No. 16 Chase Singletary of Ohio State, 5-2, to improve to 30-1 on the year.
OSU's fifth win of the session came from Joe Smith in the first round of the consolation bracket as he knocked off No. 17 Jonathan Viruet of Brown, 3-1.
"It was good to see Joseph Smith come back," John Smith said. "He wrestled a kid from Brown in the consolations who was a dangerous kid who had a successful season. It was a good win for him in consolations, and we had good wins in those matches to get to the quarterfinals."
Kaid Brock (141), Jacobe Smith (174) and Dakota Geer (184) all reached Thursday night's championship bracket session, but fell in their matches to move to the second round of the consolation bracket. Freshman Kaden Gfeller also wrestled Thursday night in the consolation bracket, but bowed out of the tournament with a loss by decision to Joshua Maruca of Arizona State.
All eight of OSU's remaining wrestlers will compete Friday morning in session III of the NCAA Wrestling Championships at 10 a.m. central time, with the session televised live on ESPNU and every match on every mat available on watchespn.com.
2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships
March 21, 2019 | PPG Paints Arena | Pittsburgh, Pa.
Session II (Thursday Night) | Attendance: 17,957
Team Standings After Session II (Top 5)
1. Penn State – 32.5
2. Ohio State – 25.5
3. Iowa – 24.0
t4. Oklahoma State – 20.0
t4. Minnesota – 20.0
Championship Second Round
125: No. 2 Nick Piccininni (OSU) MD No. 15 Elijah Oliver (Indiana), 13-2
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) dec. No. 16 Matthew Schmitt (West Virginia), 9-3
141: No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) MD No. 15 Kaid Brock (OSU), 14-1
174: No. 10 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) dec. No. 7 Jacobe Smith (OSU), 8-4
184: No. 10 Samuel Colbray (Iowa State) dec. No. 26 Dakota Geer (OSU), 7-4
197: No. 3 Preston Weigel (OSU) dec. No. 14 Eric Schultz (Nebraska), 7-2
285: No. 1 Derek White (OSU) dec. No. 16 Chase Singletary (Ohio State), 5-2
Consolation First Round
149: No. 23 Joshua Maruca (Arizona State) dec. No. 7 Kaden Gfeller (OSU), 8-3
165: No. 33 Joe Smith (OSU) dec. No. 17 Jonathan Viruet (Brown), 3-1
Quarterfinals Schedule (Friday Morning)
125: No. 2 Nick Piccininni (OSU) vs. No. 7 Pat Glory (Princeton)
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) vs. No. 8 John Erneste (Missouri)
197: No. 3 Preston Weigel (OSU) vs. No. 11 Christian Brunner (Purdue)
285: No. 1 Derek White (OSU) vs. No. 9 Matt Stencel (Central Michigan)
Consolation Second Round Schedule (Friday Morning)
141: No. 15 Kaid Brock (OSU) vs. No. 17 Ian Parker (Iowa State)
165: No. 33 Joe Smith (OSU) vs. No. 15 Connor Flynn (Missouri)
174: No. 7 Jacobe Smith (OSU) vs. No. 25 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming)
184: No. 26 Dakota Geer (OSU) vs. No. 25 Max Lyon (Purdue)
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