Daton Fix Pins His Way to Cowboy Challenge Title in Return

Sunday, February 14

Stillwater, OK

11 AM

Oklahoma State University

Cowboy Challenge Tournament

Daton Fix Pins His Way to Cowboy Challenge Title in Return

February 14, 2021 | Cowboy Wrestling

FULL BRACKETS

STILLWATER – Three Oklahoma State wrestlers were crowned Cowboy Challenge Tournament champions on Sunday with Daton Fix (133), Travis Wittlake (165) and Austin Harris (HWT) earning the honor.

In an event hosted by OSU, the Cowboys welcomed wrestlers from No. 5 Missouri, Wyoming and West Virginia into Gallagher-Iba Arena for an individual tournament. The Cowboys of Wyoming took home four championships (157, 174, 184, 197), which was the most of any team, while Missouri matched OSU with three.

"It was a tough tournament in the end," head coach John Smith said. "Some of our guys seemed to be at the top of their game, but we're going to need more."

Daton Fix returned to the mat in an orange singlet for the first time in nearly two years and looked like he never missed a beat. He began his 2021 season with a 16-1 second-period technical fall in an extra match before collecting three falls in as many matches during tournament competition. His 4:06 fall in the second period against Cam Valdiviez (Missouri) is the fastest of his career. He followed with two third-period pins, including one in the finals match against No. 20 Ryan Sullivan of West Virginia.

"I forgot how much I loved wrestling," Fix said. "Being back out there, there's nothing like it. You can practice in the room as much as you want, but it's nothing like being in front of people wrestling live competition. I'm very grateful that I'm able to be out there right now."

Ranked No. 1 in the country at 133 pounds, Fix is a welcomed and long-awaited addition to the Cowboy lineup this season. By wrestling four matches today, Fix is eligible to be an automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament from the Big 12 conference and is expected to compete for an individual national championship.

"He's got a lot better competition coming, but it sure was fun to watch him today," Smith said. "I thought early on in some of those matches you could see a little rust, not a lot, but a little bit. I think with each match he got better and better."

In the 165-pound bracket, Travis Wittlake rolled through his opponents en route to the tournament title. With only four wrestlers in the weight class, he defeated Wyoming's Cole Moody 8-4 in the semifinals before collecting his third major decision of the year in a 14-2 win over Peyton Hall in the final round. Ranked fourth in the country, the sophomore advanced his record to 11-0 on the season with six wins coming with bonus points attached.

The final champion of the night earned his title by beating a fellow Cowboy in the championship match. Heavyweight Austin Harris defeated freshman Konner Doucet 3-1 in the first tiebreaker period, using a reversal from the down position to clinch the bout. The two OSU heavyweights combined to go 3-0 on the day, outside of their match with each other.

Five other Cowboys made it to the championship round, finishing runner-up in their respective weight classes.

In the highest-ranked match of the day, No. 4 Boo Lewallen fell to No. 3 Brock Mauller (Missouri) in the first tiebreaker period of the 149-pound finals match. After Lewallen nearly picked up a reversal in the overtime period, Mauller turned him for a two-point nearfall that was enough to hold on for the 7-5 victory.

Wyatt Sheets (157) and Dustin Plott (174) both dropped their final bouts to ranked opponents in close matches. No. 16 Sheets fell in a 3-2 decision to No. 19 Jacob Wright of Wyoming, while No. 12 Plott lost the first match of his career to No. 10 Hayden Hastings (WYO). Dakota Geer and Dusty Hone were the other two Cowboys to make it to the finals, with Hone being forced to injury default following an injury in the second period.

Freshman AJ Ferrari suffered his first loss of the season in the semifinals to former No. 1 ranked Noah Adams of West Virginia. Down one point late in the third, Ferrari neared two takedowns of Adams, but could not finish them, resulting in a 3-2 defeat. The West Virginia star later had an opportunity to revenge his loss to No. 12 Stephen Buchanan (WYO) who knocked him off at No. 1 last week, but fell again, this time by a score of 6-4.

No. 6 Oklahoma State will host No. 18 OU for the second round of Bedlam next Sunday at 5 p.m. to conclude its regular season. The Cowboys defeated the Sooners 24-10 on Feb. 7 in Norman.

Three Champions
Attendance: 1,224

Quarterfinals
125: Noah Surtin (MIZZ) dec. No. 15 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (OSU), 9-6
Brendon Garcia (WYO) TF Colten Klein (OSU), 16-4 4:34
Derrick Stacey (WYO) dec. Jakason Burks (OSU), 3-1
133: No. 1 Daton Fix fall Cam Valdiviez (MIZZ), 4:06
Trey Crawford (MIZZ) fall Reece Witcraft (OSU), 1:49
No. 20 Ryan Sullivan (WVU) fall Andrew Nieman (OSU), 2:17
141: Dusty Hone (OSU) dec. Darren Green (WYO), 4-0
149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (OSU) fall Precious Essien (MIZZ), 2:41
Jaron Jenson (WYO) fall Cole Van Vleet (OSU), 4:35
Jarod Kadel (OSU) dec. Brayden Roberts, 9-6.
157: No. 16 Wyatt Sheets (OSU) MD Mitchell Bohlken (MIZZ), 14-4
Alex Hornfeck (WVU) MD Daniel Manibog (OSU), 11-2
Jacob Wright (WYO) MD Chance McLane (OSU), 14-4
Jalin Harper (OSU) dec. Caleb Dowling (WVU), 5-0
174: No. 10 Hayden Hastings (WYO) dec. Christian Bahl (OSU), 5-2
No. 12 Dustin Plott (OSU) MD Anthony D'Alesio (WVU), 11-3
184: Jake Raschka (MIZZ) dec. Daniel Jezik (OSU), 12-7 (Pigtail Match)
Anthony Carman (WVU) TF JaQuan Jackson (OSU), 15-0 4:12 (Pigtail Match)
No. 9 Dakota Geer (OSU) TF Jake Raschka (MIZZ), 19-2 4:26
Jackson Moomau (WVU) MD Christian McCutcheon (OSU), 10-0
197: No. 10 AJ Ferrari (OSU) TF Jace Punke (MIZZ), 17-1 4:27
Luke Surber (OSU) MD Jack Flynn (MIZZ), 19-5
HWT: Konner Doucet (OSU) dec. Tucker Tomlinson (WYO), SV-1 3-1

Semifinals
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) fall Job Greenwood (WYO), 5:16
141: Dusty Hone (OSU) dec. Jeff Boyd (WVU), 4-2
149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (OSU) MD Jaron Jensen (WYO), 12-4
No. 3 Brock Mauller (MIZZ) MD Jarod Kadel (OSU), 16-4
157: No. 16 Wyatt Sheets (OSU) dec. Alex Hornfeck (WVU), 8-2
No. 19 Jacob Wright (WYO) dec. Jalin Harper (OSU), 8-2
165: No. 4 Travis Wittlake (OSU) (OSU) dec. Cole Moody (WYO), 8-4
174: No. 12 Dustin Plott (OSU) dec. Scott Joll (WVU), 9-6
184: No. 9 Dakota Geer (OSU) TF Jackson Moomau (WVU), 17-2 3:46
197: No. 4 Noah Adams (WVU) dec. No. 10 AJ Ferrari (OSU), 3-2
No. 12 Stephen Buchanan (WYO) inj. Luke Surber (OSU), 5:00
HWT: Konner Doucet (OSU) dec. Michael Wolfgram (WVU), 3-1
Austin Harris (OSU) dec. Seth Nitzel (MIZZ), 5-1

Finals
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) fall No. 20 Ryan Sullivan (WVU), 5:10
141: Josh Edmond (MIZZ) inj. Dusty Hone (OSU), 4:03
149: No. 3 Brock Mauller (MIZZ) dec. No. 4 Boo Lewallen (OSU), TB-1 7-5
157: No. 19 Jacob Wright (WYO) dec. No. 16 Wyatt Sheets (OSU), 3-2
165: No. 4 Travis Wittlake (OSU) MD Peyton Hall (WVU), 14-2
174: No. 10 Hayden Hastings (WYO) dec. No. 12 Dustin Plott (OSU), 8-7
184: Tate Samuelson (WYO) dec. No. 9 Dakota Geer (OSU), 10-6
HWT: Austin Harris (OSU) dec. Konner Doucet (OSU), TB-1 3-1

Consolation Finals
149: Jaron Jensen (WYO) fall Jarod Kadel (OSU), 2:12
157: Jalin Harper (OSU) dec. Alex Hornfeck (WVU), 3-2
197: No. 10 AJ Ferrari (OSU) forf. Luke Surber (OSU)

Extra Matches
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) TF Trey Crawford (MIZZ), 16-1 3:57
Reece Witcraft (OSU) MD Cam Valdiviez (MIZZ), 10-0
141: Precious Essien (MIZZ) TF Cole Van Vleet (OSU), 16-0 4:15
157: Daniel Manibog (OSU) dec. Caleb Dowling (WVU), 4-2
Caleb Dowling (WVU) dec. Chance McLane (OSU), 3-2
184: Anthony Carman (WVU) MD Daniel Jezik (OSU), 9-1
Jake Raschka (MIZZ) dec. Evan Shetley (OSU), 19-14