After a solid performance at the Big 12 Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma State coach John Smith is hoping for more of the same in Kansas City at the NCAA Championships.

A solid performance might be putting it lightly. Oklahoma State’s 141.5 points would have been enough to win 22 of the last 27 Big 12 Championships. Oklahoma State wrestled well, Iowa State just wrestled better. 

Oklahoma State qualified all 10 wrestlers for the national tournament. The Cowboys qualified their full team a year ago, as well, but produced just 28.5 points and an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the lowest team score in the long and illustrious history of the program. 

Oklahoma State coach John Smith said he is expecting more of his team this season.

“I expect a pretty good tournament from this team,” Smith said. “Does that mean we’re gonna have several high All-Americans? I don’t know what it means. I just know it’s going to be hard to beat some of my guys if they wrestle hard. I feel like we could have a really good tournament.”

Oklahoma State would have to wrestle substandard to meet its totals from last year, which is highly doubtful. The Cowboys have looked exponentially better than last year, and better results could show at NCAAs. However, while Smith may believe Oklahoma State could have a good tournament, he doesn’t mean winning it. Smith kept it real and said there is a clear-cut favorite to win it this year, and depending on who you talk to — that pick is consensus. 

“I think Penn State is the best team in the country this year,” Smith said. “I don’t think anyone is going to run them down. I think there’s four or five teams that can take second and I think there’s probably 10 teams that can take third.” 

Consider the Cowboys one of those teams vying for a team trophy in Kansas City. 

Fix Gunning For Elusive 133-pound Title

Five Big 12 titles, a 119-6 overall record, undefeated in home duals, and four All-American honors and three trips to the NCAA finals. 

Daton Fix has had a brilliant career with the Cowboys. But he’s still yearning for the most notable accomplishment of them all: NCAA champion. 

After three runner-up finishes at 133 pounds, Fix took fourth at last year’s national tournament. The senior made history last weekend as he became the first wrestler in Big 12 history to become a five-time conference champion. 

He enters his final tournament with the Cowboys as the #1 seed at 133. Another podium finish would make him Oklahoma State’s first five-time All-American. 

Despite this being Fix’s last dance in an orange singlet, he said his approach to his final postseason is the same as it always has been.

“I’m not worried about anything else other than just the match that I have at that moment,” Fix said. “I’m worried about one match at a time. If I just put complete focus into each one of them, then the results are going to happen. I’m going to feel good about the results.”

Getting back into the team title race is a top goal for the Cowboys. But for Smith, seeing one of his most accomplished wrestlers finally win that individual title would take the cake for him.

“It would be right at the top of my list, with maybe one or two more, that would be really nice,” Smith said. “Daton’s had a good year. Probably one of his more challenging years. [He was] really frustrated early on when he was injured. That’s never happened to him. I don’t know if he had missed a match until this year. He’s excited, I think he’s enjoyed his final year with this group of guys that I think allowed him to do a lot more and not be completely focused on him.”

Plott Talks Rematches with Foca and Keckeisen

Dustin Plott earned the #3 seed in the 184-pound bracket. He’s 27-3 this season with a pair of losses to #1 seed Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa. 

Should Plott win his first match, he could potentially face Cornell’s #14 seed Chris Foca, who pinned Plott in the first period of last year’s NCAA quarterfinals when both wrestlers were at 174 pounds. Plott said he knows he could potentially face Foca, but he’s focused on taking his approach one match at a time.

“Of course, I’ve thought about it, I’ve seen the bracket,” said Plott, who opens the tournament against #30 seed Malachi DuVall of George Mason. “But the first match is really all that matters at nationals. You never know what’s gonna happen. That is a match I would really like to get back and wrestle against him again, but I’m just taking it one match at a time.”

Now, if Plott wants his rematch with Keckeisen on the championships side of the bracket, he will have to make the finals. Plott said he doesn’t want the Big 12 Championship match to be his last with Keckeisen this season. 

“He’s the one to beat,” Plott said. “I’m not gonna let that last performance be the last one I have with him this year. So hopefully I see him in the finals. He’s definitely someone I like to compete against and so I really want to do that again this year.”