For the second time this season, No. 7 Virginia Tech will battle a top-10 dual opponent, this time on the road against wrestling powerhouse No. 3 Oklahoma State. The bout is set for 8:00 in Stillwater’s Gallagher-IBA Arena on December 19th. This is only the second-ever dual matchup between these two programs; the Hokies claimed the first meeting via an 18-16 victory in January 2011.
The Cowboys enter this matchup with a record of 5-0. Oklahoma State is led by former Penn State Nittany Lion and two-time NCAA champion, three-time World Champion, and 2020 Olympic gold medalist David Taylor, who is in his first season as the Pokes’ head coach. According to Intermat, Okalahoma State's lineup features ranked wrestlers at each weight class, six of which rank in the top-10 of their respective divisions. The slate of probable matchups between these squads includes three battles of top-10 wrestlers, and two top-5 bouts.
- 125: No. 4 Eddie Ventresca vs. No. 3 Troy Spratley
- 133: No. 12 Connor McGonagle vs. No. 19 Reece Witcraft
- 141: No. 14 Sam Latona vs. No. 4 Tagen Jamison
- 149: No. 1 Caleb Henson vs. No. 13 Carter Young
- 157: No. 14 Rafael Hipolito vs. No. 12 Caleb Fish
- 165: No. 29 Mac Church vs. No. 6 Cameron Amine
- 174: No. 4 Lennox Wolak vs. No. 3 Dean Hamiti Jr.
- 184: No. 25 TJ Stewart vs No. 3 Dustin Plott
- 197: No. 9 Andy Smith vs. No. 10 Luke Surber
- 285: No. 16 Jimmy Mullen vs. No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson
Both squads are coming off of top-5 finishes in the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Oklahoma State dominated the event, finishing in first place with 192 points behind impressive performances from wrestlers up and down its lineup. Two Cowboys finished first in their divisions: Dean Hamiti Jr. at 174 pounds and Air Force standout transfer Wyatt Hendrickson at 285 pounds. Taylor’s team claimed three runner-up finishes, as well: Tagen Jamison at 141 pounds, Dustin Plott at 184 pounds, and Cameron Amine at 165 pounds. The Cowboys’ finish at the CKLV Invitational was historic, as described by Oklahoma State Wrestling’s website: “All 10 Cowboys placed no lower than fifth, becoming the first team to do so since 1999 and just the fourth ever. OSU is responsible for all four of those performances, and no other collegiate wrestling program has accomplished that feat.”
As a final touch to pad their overwhelming scoring total, the Pokes recorded 25 wins by bonus points in the two-day event. The Hokies finished in fourth place at the CKLV Invitational with 90 points. There were only two matchups between wrestlers of these programs in the event: Caleb Henson defeated Oklahoma State’s Carter Young 6-3 in a quarterfinals bout en route to his title at 149 pounds, and Andy Smith knocked off the Cowboys’ Luke Surber to earn a sixth place finish.
The Hokies are faced with an uphill climb in this matchup. There are no weak spots in the Pokes’ lineup, meaning the Hokies will need to claim an upset or two, especially in the heavier weight classes, as well as secure multiple wins by bonus points to pull off the upset. To add another layer of difficulty to the Hokies’ already tall task, Stillwater’s Gallagher-IBA Arena is widely regarded as one of the country’s most hostile settings for visiting opponents. Tony Robie’s team will have to contend with the Pokes both on and off the mat during every bout of the night.