149 Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) over Tyler Williams (Drexel) (Fall 3:20)
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Cowboys Travel West for Friday Doubleheader

STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team begins a busy weekend with two conference matches on Friday. The Pokes will take on Air Force Friday afternoon before driving north to wrestle Wyoming that night. 


Dual Details
Date/Times: at Air Force – Dec. 17, 2021/ 1 p.m. CT
Location: Clube Arena, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Watch: FloWrestling
Listen: Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM
Live Stats: Trackwrestling.com

Date/Times: at Wyoming – Dec. 17, 2021/ 8:30 p.m. CT
Location: Uniwyo Sports Complex, Laramie, Wyo.
Watch: FloWrestling
Listen: Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM
Live Stats: Trackwrestling.com


The Basics 
The fourth-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team (4-0 overall; 1-0 Big 12) will head west for a doubleheader against Air Force and Wyoming on Friday, December 17. Similar to the 2019-20 season, the Cowboys will wrestle in Colorado Springs at 1 p.m. before driving to Laramie for a night cap at 8:30 p.m.  

The Series – Air Force
Oklahoma State and Air Force have met only four times in the programs’ histories, with each advantage landing with the Cowboys. Last season, the Pokes defeated the Falcons in Colorado Springs, 33-6. The first meeting took place in 2007. OSU defeated Air Force, 40-5.

The Series – Wyoming
Oklahoma State and the Cowboys from Wyoming have met 25 times over the years. The first contest took place in 1956 in Stillwater, where OSU topped Wyoming, 21-3. OSU has won all but one dual meet against the Cowboys but has never lost. The tie came in the Pokes’ second meeting in 1957 in Laramie. Former OSU Cowboy Mark Branch has never beaten his alma mater as a coach in eight tries, but has kept the contests competitive over the years. The teams last met in 2020 when OSU won 2507, although Wyoming participated in the Cowboy Challenge Tournament last season and crowned four champions. 

An Oklahoma State Win Would… 
• Move the Cowboys to 6-0 overall; 3-0 in the Big 12

• Push OSU’s road dual record this season to 5-0

• Improve John Smith’s record against Air Force to 5-0; against Wyoming to 18-0

• Mark OSU’s fourth consecutive win against Air Force; 24th straight against Wyoming

• Extend Oklahoma State’s win streak in duals to 16, dating back to last season

Cowboys in the Polls 
Oklahoma State’s roster features nine wrestlers ranked in various polls this week, with six holding spots inside the top-10. Sophomore 197-pounder AJ Ferrari is the consensus No. 1 wrestler at his weight and is the highest ranked Cowboy, after winning his first individual title at the NCAA Championships in March. Following Ferrari, Daton Fix appears at No. 2 at 133 pounds as the reigning Big 12 champion and national finalist. Also making appearances in the top 10 of their respective weight classes are All-Americans Travis Wittlake and Dakota Geer. Wittlake is as high as No. 5 at 165 pounds in the Intermatrankings, while Geer is ranked sixth at 184 pounds by FloWrestling. 125-pounder Trevor Mastrogiovanni holds down the No. 7 spot, according to FloWrestling. A 4-0 start to the season with three wins over ranked opponents has Dustin Plott (174) into the top-10 of the WIN Magazine poll where he is tabbed No. 9 in his weight class. Wyatt Sheets (157) is ranked as high as No. 12 by various polls, while Kaden Gfeller (149) is as high as No. 17 in FloWrestling’s rankings. At 141 pounds, true freshman Carter Young is ranked No. 27 by. Intermat after a 2-1 start to his career.

Match to Watch 
The match to watch on Friday will come at 197 pounds in Laramie where No. 1 AJ Ferrari takes on No. 5 Stephen Buchanan. Ferrari, the reigning national champion as a true freshman has picked up where he left off to begin the 2021-22 season with three bonus-point wins and a 6-3 decision over No. 11 Jake Woodley. Buchanan, who placed eighth at the NCAA Championships last season, is 7-0 this season and won the deep 197-pound bracket at the Cliff Keen Invitational. The only prior meeting between the two took place in the Big 12 Championship finals. Ferrari won the match, 13-8, on his way to being named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

Dustin His Competition 
Cowboy 174-pounder Dustin Plott has gotten off to an impressive start in his sophomore season. He faced a ranked opponent in each of OSU’s first three duals and defeated each of them. He beat No. 31 Tyler Eischens of Stanford, 7-6, No. 23 Jared Krattiger (MINN), 6-1, and No. 12 Mickey O’Malley (DREX), 6-3. His upset over O’Malley his last time out marked the highest-ranked win of his young career. Beginning the season ranked No. 16 by Intermat, Plott has moved up to No. 10 thus far.

Tune In
Both duals will be live streamed on FloWrestling for fans to view. It can also be heard on the radio Friday afternoon with Rex Holt and Roger Moore on air beginning at 12:30 p.m. CT on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM for the Air Force dual and 8 p.m. for the bout with Wyoming. Live stats can be found on Trackwrestling.com.

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