Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Big 12 Championship
Cowboy Wrestling Claims Ninth-Straight Big 12 Tournament Title
March 07, 2021 | Cowboy Wrestling
Updated Brackets (PDF)
Photos
TULSA, Okla. – The Oklahoma State wrestling team claimed a school-record ninth consecutive conference tournament title Sunday night as the Cowboys went 3-0 in the finals and finished with 124 team points to earn a co-championship with Oklahoma at the 2021 Big 12 Championships.
The run of nine-straight conference tournament titles marks the longest streak in Big 12 wrestling history and breaks OSU's former school record of eight consecutive championships that was set from 1921-1928.
"We definitely didn't want the co-championship," coach John Smith said. "I think each team would've preferred to have won it, but congratulations to Oklahoma on a good effort and the things they did to put themselves in a position to win. It is what it is, but it reminds each guy in tight races like this to think about what they could have done to score one more point."
The Cowboys entered the final session with an eight-point deficit in the team standings and defeated Sooners in two of their three finals wins to earn the title. OSU nearly had the title to itself as true freshman AJ Ferrari stormed out to a big lead over Wyoming's Stephen Buchanan in the Cowboys' final bout of the tournament, but fell just short in a late effort to seal a bonus-point win that would have provided an extra team point. The 13-8 upset victory did give OSU a share of the team title and secured Most Outstanding Wrestling honors for Ferrari.
Ferrari's win in the 197-pound final also made him the 13th true freshman in OSU history and the first since 2016 to win a conference title. He is the first Cowboy true freshman to be named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Big 12 tournament since Coleman Scott in 2005.
"AJ wrestled how I want to wrestle in every match," Daton Fix said. "He wrestles hard all seven minutes and that's really special for a true freshman to go out there and be able to compete like that. I couldn't be more proud of the way he competed. He tried to get a major decision on a very tough wrestler from Wyoming."
As exciting as the last bout was, Fix and Boo Lewallen had equally important performances, defeating OU's Tony Madrigal at 133 pounds and OU's Mitch Moore at 149 pounds, respectively, to keep the Cowboys within striking distance.
Fix scored two points in each period on his way to a 6-1 decision, marking his second conference championship and moving his season record to 9-0.
Two bouts later, Lewallen added to OSU's momentum in one of the most exciting bouts of the tournament. He jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with a takedown and nearfall, but Moore answered with a reversal and nearfall to tie it up after the first. Moore started the second period with a two-point nearfall and Lewallen responded with an escape and late takedown to take a 7-6 lead into the final period. Lewallen rose to the challenge and fought through several scrambles to finish a full-period ride and secure the one-point win. It marked his third Big 12 title and set the stage for Ferrari's late heroics.
"We had a good effort in the finals and learned a lot in the finals." Smith said. "I think we will see our guys improve from these final matches."
With the addition of three individual champions, Oklahoma State now has 115 Big 12 champions and 290 conference champions in its wrestling history. With Ferrari's win, OSU now has 27 total freshmen conference champions in its history, including redshirt freshmen.
The team championship marks coach John Smith's 23rd career conference title, as well as OSU's 53rd conference tournament title and 55th overall conference title in wrestling. Additionally, Oklahoma State has now claimed 19 of the 25 Big 12 tournament trophies that have been awarded in the conference's history as well as the 2012 and 2013 regular season titles in the only years it was awarded. Including the regular season titles, OSU has won a Big 12 championship in 12 straight seasons.
The Cowboys now turn their attention to the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships, scheduled for March 18-20 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. OSU claimed seven automatic berths into the 2021 NCAA Championships this weekend, with every weight except 141, 157 and heavyweight securing a spot.
Â
2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championships
March 7, 2020 | BOK Center | Tulsa, Okla.
Session IV (Sunday Night)
Â
Final Team Standings
T1. Oklahoma State - 124.0
T1. Oklahoma - 124.0
3. Iowa State - 117.5
4. Wyoming - 105.5
5. Northern Iowa - 79.0
6. North Dakota State - 78.0
7. Northern Colorado - 70.5
8. South Dakota State - 67.5
9. West Virginia - 57.0
10. Utah Valley - 55.0
11. Air Force - 32.5
12. Fresno State - 31.0
Â
Finals (Sunday Night)
133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) dec. Tony Madrigal (Oklahoma), 6-1
149: No. 1 Boo Lewallen (OSU) dec. No. 3 Mitch Moore (Oklahoma), 7-6
197: No. 4 AJ Ferrari (OSU) dec. No. 2 Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming), 13-8
