Oklahoma
3 takeaways from No. 9 Oklahoma State wrestling’s 22-12 dual win over No. 4 NC State
Friday night was a night for intensity inside Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh as No. 9 Oklahoma State wrestling fought past No. 4 NC State behind bonus-point performances from All-Americans Daton Fix and Dustin Plott as well as upset wins from underclassmen Troy Spratley and Teague Travis.
Oklahoma State coach John Smith outscored his former athlete Pat Popolizio’s team 22-12 to remain undefeated on the year, while the Pack, ranked as high as No. 2 in the country earlier this year, took their second consecutive loss after dropping a 21-20 dual to Ohio State last month.
Here’s are three takeaways from this electric dual performance as both teams regroup and prepare for their dual schedules.
Oklahoma State’s young stars shined bright
This year’s Oklahoma State team looks a lot different than the squad that struggled through last year’s NCAA tournament and settled for 17th place. This is a trophy-contending team now, in large part due to the energy and fight coming from the current class of redshirt freshman. Those freshman (plus a standout sophomore) carried their team with three huge wins, and they’ll now be names to watch as point-scoring contenders heading into March.
OKLAHOMA STATE WRESTLING: History, titles, statistics, records
Freshman Troy Spratley kicked things off for the Cowboys at 125 pounds when he overpowered NC State’s Jakob Camacho, someone who has ranked No. 1 earlier in the season, 7-2, quieting the rowdy fans. Spratley came out fighting off the first whistle and wrestled tough in all three positions to outscore the Wolfpack veteran. The win over No. 17 Camacho should move No. 20 Spratley up a few spots in the rankings, while Camacho’s loss, his fourth of the season, will likely have a more significant impact on his standing, given the unpredictability of the weight class as a whole.
Sophomore Teague Travis delivered another blow to the Wolfpack up at 157 pounds when he narrowly topped All-American No. 5 Ed Scott, 7-6, in a performance that should skyrocket him into the top 15. Travis, who spent last year wrestling behind 141-pounder Carter Young, is now 10-1 on the year, though the Scott win is unquestionably his biggest accolade so far this season.
The clutch win to take back the lead.
📺 ESPNU#HomeOfWrestling | @TeagueTravi1 pic.twitter.com/v70C8MIZfy
— OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) January 6, 2024
Travis had the biggest win of the night, but the Cowboys notched another notable performance from underclassmen on Friday: Brayden Thompson’s critical victory at 174. Thompson, who is 4-3 on the year with a ranked win over Tate Picklo of Oklahoma, was in a coin-flip bout against NC State’s No. 31 Alex Faison through three periods of regulation and two rounds of sudden victory before the Cowboy found his edge in tiebreakers and rode out Faison for the 3-2 win. The significance of this performance, though, was not in the ranked individual win but in the team score. Thompson’s victory gave the Cowboys their third consecutive win in the dual and extended the lead to 16-7, making the comeback that much more difficult for the Pack.
Both teams have at least six All-American contenders
The Oklahoma State freshmen and sophomores overall stepped up and stepped up big, but the dual brought the heat across all 10 weights.
At 184 pounds, Oklahoma State had one of its best veteran performances of the night as two-time All-American Dustin Plott picked up a major against NC State freshman star No. 5 Dylan Fishback to put the dual nearly out of reach. Plott’s consistency continues to make him a valuable staple in this lineup.
Currently 13-1 with an 81.25% bonus rate, Plott is ranked No. 3 in the country behind NCAA finalist Parker Keckeisen and No. 2 Bernie Truax, though with Truax’s loss to Oregon State’s Trey Munoz and Plott’s win, the Cowboy might find himself moving up again. Given the landscape of 184 pounds, Plott has to be someone eying an opportunity to compete on Saturday night in March.
MEET THE ALL-AMERICANS: These are the 80 athletes who finished in the top eight last year
Another Cowboy wrestler chasing the bright lights of the national finals is four-time All-American and three-time NCAA finalist Daton Fix, and, like Plott, Fix also put up bonus against a top-five NC State opponent. The veteran 133-pounder majored NC State’s No. 5 All-American Kai Orine, 11-3, for his third win of the year, showing that he’s still one of the best in the country at the weight.
Fix, Orine, Plott and Fishback all belong in the All-American conversation. Three of these four athletes — Fix, Orine and Plott — have finished in the top eight before, and Fishback, despite his loss to Plott, has shown flashes of All-American talent. He has a win over All-American Munoz of Oregon State, and he wrestles tough. He’ll be the favorite to win the ACC tournament, but he’ll have another top-10 test against Chris Foca of Cornell before March.
Oklahoma State’s big portal pickup, Izzak Olejnik, is also a top All-American contender, and someone who has been outstanding all year. In his match against NC State’s AJ Kovacs at 165 pounds, Olejnik picked up an 8-3 win but left the match frustrated after being just seconds away from the takedown that would have earned him the major decision. Olejnik will have the chance to see plenty of high-level competition before NCAAs, however, as he’ll likely dual Iowa State’s David Carr and Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole in the next month, both winners of NCAA titles. Based on Olejnik performances so far this year, though, expect him to battle and battle well against both of those athletes. Can he beat Carr and O’Toole to become a title contender? That remains to be seen, but Olejnik has jumped levels this year, and his future remains bright.
Between picking up Olejnik in the transfer portal and the success of Oklahoma’s State young stars, particularly Teague Travis, the Cowboys are looking strong. They should be expecting podium finishes from all four of those guys, a result that would double their podium finishes from the year before. This total doesn’t even include heavyweight No. 11 Konner Doucet, who picked up a top-20 win against No. 16 Owen Trephan, and No. 7 Tagen Jamison, who stayed within one takedown of NC State’s Ryan Jack in his 6-4 loss at 141 pounds. If Oklahoma State can string together the right series of performances at NCAAs, over half its lineup could come home with hardware.
MIDSEASON WRESLTING AWARDS: Olejnik earns ‘highest impact transfer’ honors
NC State is in a similar position with depth, despite the loss. Orine and Fishback, as previously mentioned, are podium contenders, as is No. 4 Jack, and No. 5 Scott, even with after dropping to Travis. The Pack also earned big points (and can expect to continue earning big points) from Jackson Arrington, the No. 3-ranked athlete in the country at 149 pounds. Arrington built on Jack’s momentum from the 141-pound bout and shut out Oklahoma State’s No. 19 Jordan Williams, 10-0, to tie the dual and secure a ranked win for himself at 149.
Arrington has just two losses so far this year, one in 9-8 fashion against All-American Dylan D’Emilio of Ohio State and one countable medical forfeit against Nash Singleton of Oregon State in the Cliff Keen Invitational. He’s since reversed that loss to D’Emilio, and he’s also teched Singleton. Arrington is hard-nosed and aggressive, and, if NC State is hoping for a team trophy, they’ll need Arrington to make a deep run through the 149-pound bracket at nationals.
Trent Hidlay is on another level
NC State has nine total ranked wrestlers, and, after last night’s performance, at least six who look like All-Americans, much like the Cowboys. The biggest Wolfpack star, and the only athlete to secure a tech fall, though, deserves additional recognition.
Play ’em off, Trent!
Hidlay picks up a dominant 19-4 win over Robb.
Oklahoma State 19, NC State 12 pic.twitter.com/Eunh35uq13
— NC State Wrestling 🤼♂️ (@PackWrestle) January 6, 2024
Trent Hidlay, NC State’s three-time NCAA All-American, has become known for his leadership, grit and tenacity, and he put all of that on display Friday night as he dominated Jersey Robb, 21-4, for five critical team points. While Hidlay’s effort wasn’t enough to lift the Pack past the Cowboys, his performance put the energy back in the crowd and infused some momentum into the team heading into heavyweight.
Oklahoma State’s No. 11 Doucet shut down NC State’s heavyweight No. 16 Trephan 2-1 to end the dual, but, now that the dust has settled on this dual, Hidlay’s match is one that Pack fans can look back on as a shining moment. He stepped up and scored big for his team, something he’s had a history of doing since he first donned the Black and Red back in 2018.
BEST OF 2023: These are the highlights in college wrestling from the last calendar year
With Friday’s win, Hidlay’s to 16-0 on the season with 87.5% bonus and 89-11 in his varsity career. He sits at No. 4 in the weight class behind three-time NCAA champion Aaron Brooks and All-Americans Stephen Buchanan and Rocky Elam, and while he won’t have a chance to wrestle any of those three guys until NCAAs, Hidlay is a strong favorite to win another conference title for himself and head into nationals with an undefeated record. His biggest competition between now and then will come on Feb. 16 when he could see No. 7 Jacob Cardenas of Cornell, though Hidlay did major in Cardenas at their last meeting in the Cliff Keen Invitational.
The Trent Hidlay folkstyle show will continue for a little over two more months before Hidlay’s collegiate eligibility runs out. Enjoy it while you can.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
Follow
The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.
After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.
Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.
The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.
Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.
Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.
The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
Just miles off Route 66 in Rogers County stands one of Oklahoma’s most unusual roadside attractions: a 90-foot concrete totem pole built largely by one man over more than a decade.
Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park is home to what is widely described as the world’s largest concrete totem pole, created by Oklahoma folk artist Nathan Edward Galloway during his retirement years.
The park sits near Chelsea and continues to draw visitors traveling Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66.
A project decades in the making
Credit: Rogers County Historical Society
According to the National Park Service, Nathan Edward Galloway was born in 1880 in Springfield, Missouri. He later worked as a manual arts teacher at Sand Springs Home before retiring in 1937 to property near present-day Chelsea in Rogers County.
After retiring, Galloway began building what would become Totem Pole Park. Using concrete, steel rebar, wood, and red sandstone, he created a series of colorful, highly decorated totems and structures across the property.
Atlas Obscura reports that Galloway began construction in 1938 with the goal of building durable totem poles from sturdy materials, and he surrounded his land with tapered concrete monuments and decorative features.
Between 1937 and 1948, Galloway constructed the park’s centerpiece: a 90-foot-tall totem pole carved with bas-relief designs. Travel Oklahoma describes it as a Route 66 icon and a state landmark.
Eleven years and 90 feet of concrete
Credit: Rogers County Historical Society
The main totem took roughly 11 years to complete, according to Atlas Obscura. The structure is made of red sandstone framed with steel and wood, then covered with a thick concrete exterior.
The tower features more than 200 carved images, including representations of birds and Native American figures facing the four cardinal directions. Near the top are four nine-foot figures representing different tribes.
Galloway’s version differs from traditional totem poles of the Pacific Northwest, which are generally carved from red cedar.
The structure rises from the back of a large, three-dimensional turtle. The turtle base was carved from a broad sandstone outcrop on the site and painted in bright colors.
The totem is hollow and rises about nine stories, with the ground level measuring about nine feet in diameter. Inside, plastered walls feature painted murals of mountain-and-lake scenes and bird totems, along with Native American shields and arrow points. At the top, the cone is open to the sky.
Picnic tables supported by small concrete totems, a totem barbecue fireplace, and gate structures designed to resemble fish fill the park grounds.
The Fiddle House
Credit: Rogers County Historical Society
Beyond the towering pole, Galloway’s artistic interests extended into music and woodworking.
An 11-sided structure known as the “Fiddle House” sits on the property and resembles a Navajo hogan, according to the National Park Service. The building houses many of Galloway’s hand-carved fiddles and other creations.
The Rogers County Historical Society says the Fiddle House Museum retains many of Galloway’s handcrafted violins and artifacts.
From neglect to restoration
Credit: Rogers County Historical Society
Galloway continued working on the park until his death in 1961. After he died, the site gradually fell into disrepair.
In 1989, the Rogers County Historical Society acquired the property. A major restoration effort took place from 1988 to 1998, with art conservators and engineers studying the structures and repairing damaged materials.
Additional repainting and preservation projects began in 2015.
Today, Totem Pole Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It remains open year-round with free admission and is managed by the Rogers County Historical Society.
-
Utah2 minutes agoMultiple earthquakes detected near Kanosh
-
Vermont8 minutes agoWrong-way driver stopped on I-89, charged with DUI
-
Virginia14 minutes agoParachutist Slams into Jumbotron at Virginia Tech Spring Game
-
Wisconsin26 minutes agoUS animal rights activists clash with police over Wisconsin dog breeder
-
West Virginia32 minutes agoThe 2026 WVU Tommy Nickolich Award Goes to a Parkersburg Native
-
Wyoming38 minutes agoWyoming Gov. Mark Gordon won’t seek a third term. He won’t rule out running for other offices, either
-
Crypto44 minutes ago1 Cryptocurrency to Buy While It’s Under $80,000
-
Finance50 minutes agoBudget crisis is top concern for MPS leader Cassellius | Opinion