The No. 3 Oklahoma State wrestling team (15-2-1 overall; 6-1-0 Big 12) defends its Big 12 title from a year ago when the Cowboys travel to Ames to compete at the Big 12 Championships on March 5.
On the Air
The dual will be televised by FSN with J. Carl Guymon, Lee Roy Smith and Erin Bajackson on the call. Check your local listings for air times.
In addition, all action prior to the finals will be aired live on KSPI 780-AM radio in Stillwater with Roger Moore on the call. The finals will be aired live on KSPI 93.7-FM radio in Stillwater. Fans outside of the Stillwater listening area can access that broadcast via the internet at www.okstate.com.
The Champs Are Here!
Oklahoma State is the reigning Big 12 champion after claiming the team title at last year’s event in Norman by a narrow 1.5-point margin over an Iowa State squad that was favored to hoist the trophy.
2010 Big 12 Championships Standings
1. Oklahoma State 70.5 points
2. Iowa State 69 points
3. Oklahoma 64 points
4. Missouri 33 points
5. Nebraska 32 points
Cowboys Return Three Big 12 Champs
Oklahoma State returns all of its three Big 12 individual champions from last season in Jordan Oliver, Jamal Parks and Clayton Foster.
Oliver was honored as the co-Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament, sharing that honor with Oklahoma’s Jarrod Patterson. Parks upset eventual All-American Zack Bailey from Oklahoma in his own home arena in the 141-pound title bout to earn his championship and Foster toppled eventual NCAA champion Max Askren of Missouri in the 184-pound title bout to claim his crown.
Cowboys At the Conference Meet
When Oklahoma State takes the mat for the Big 12 Championships, it will be hunting its 10th Big 12 title in 15 attempts since the league held its first championship in 1997.
The Cowboys have won 43 team conference titles all-time, claiming six Southwest Conference championships from 1917-25, four Missouri Valley Conference championships from 1925-28, 24 Big Eight Conference championships from 1958-96 and nine Big 12 Conference championships from 1997-present.
Cowboy wrestlers have combined to win 229 conference individual titles through the years - one in the Southwest Conference, 23 in the Missouri Valley Conference, 151 in the Big Eight Conference and 54 in the Big 12.
John Smith At The Conference Meet
John Smith has led the Cowboys to 11 conference championships and has coached 65 individual conference champions since taking over the program in 1991-92.
Under Smith, Oklahoma State has finished either first or second at the conference meet 14 times in 17 eligible years (Smith inherited an OSU program that was on probation at the time of his hiring and was not eligible to compete for the conference crown his first two seasons.)
He is an eight-time selection as Big 12 coach of the year to go with his two Big Eight coach of the year accolades.
OSU Freshmen Have Starred In Postseason Before
John Smith started five freshmen for most of the regular season in Jon Morrison, Josh Kindig, Dallas Bailey, Chris Perry and Blake Rosholt. That group should take heart in the fact that several Cowboy freshmen before them have starred in the postseason.
Four OSU freshmen have won NCAA titles: Richard Hutton - 1947, Pat Smith - 1990, Mark Branch - 1994 and Jake Rosholt - 2003.
Additionally, 32 Cowboy freshmen have earned All-America status and 15 Cowboy freshmen have won conference individual titles. Current OSU sophomore Jordan Oliver was a Big 12 champion and All-American as a freshman last year.
Hidden All-American Returns?
Oklahoma State heavyweight Alan Gelogaev could see his first true varsity action of the season at the Big 12 Championships. An All-American wrestling at 197 pounds in 2010 (seventh place), Gelogaev was injured in the first open tournament of this season and has been on the mend ever since.
Gelogaev provides the Cowboys with a proven post-season performer, but if he is not well enough to compete at his best, expect to see Blake Rosholt continue to handle the heavyweight duties.
OSU Statistical Leaders
Wins: 23, Jamal Parks
Bonus Point Wins: 19, Jordan Oliver
Wins by Fall: 11, Josh Kindig
Wins by Technical Fall: 6, Jordan Oliver
Wins by Major Decision: 7, Chris McNeil
Dual Takedowns: 90, Jordan Oliver
Dual Nearfalls: 26, Jordan Oliver
Oliver A First-Period Closer
Seven of Jordan Oliver’s 22 wins this season were stopped before the end of the first period. The list:
Date Opponent School Result Score
11/7 Michael Walkup Central Oklahoma W Fall; 1:36
11/7 Dustin Reed Oklahoma W Fall; 2:43
1/9 Ben Cash Iowa State W Fall; 2:26
1/9 Nathan McCormick Missouri W Fall; 2:41
1/28 Casey Cruz Northern Colorado W TF5; 22-7, 2:57
1/30 Dale Shull NC State W Fall; 2:45
2/13 No. 15 Tyler Cox Wyoming W TF5; 16-0, 2:52
OSU Hit A Program Milestone
Oklahoma State’s 44-0 win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 28 marked the 1,000th all-time victory for Cowboy wrestling. The only other team to reach the 1,000-win plateau is Iowa State, who accomplished the feat last season.
Most Dual Wins (Through 2010-11)
1. Iowa State 1,011-273-20 .783 pct.
2. Oklahoma State 1,006-113-23 .891 pct.
3. Oregon State 961-312-28 .749 pct.
4. Iowa 892-215-31 .797 pct.
5. Minnesota 878-421-24 .673 pct.
6. Navy 845-280-26 .745 pct.
7. Lehigh 839-389-23 .680 pct.
8. Penn State 829-296-37 .729 pct.
9. Oklahoma 816-349-33 .695 pct.
10. Michigan 745-323-26 .693 pct.
Honors Pour In For Oliver
Jordan Oliver was tabbed as Big 12 wrestler of the week following a 5-2 win over No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State on Feb. 11 and a 16-0 technical fall win that was stopped with eight seconds left in the first period against No. 15 Tyler Cox of Wyoming two nights later.
It was the second Big 12 weekly honor for Oliver this season, who previously earned the award after earning Outstanding Wrestler distinction at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals.
Additionally, he was recognized as the Big 12 wrestler of the month in November after he rattled off a perfect 5-0 record during the month, and that figure did not count his 8-7 victory over No. 1 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State at the NWCA All-Star Classic because bouts at the All-Star Classic do not count toward a wrestler’s season record.
Morrison A Two-Time Big 12 Honoree
Freshman Jon Morrison earned Big 12 wrestler of the week honors after an impressive 4-1 win over No. 7 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma as part of the Cowboys’ 24-9 win over the Sooners in Norman. The victory not only avenged an early-season loss to Patterson, but it also served as the biggest momentum swing in the dual.
It was Morrison’s second Big 12 accolade this year, as he was also recognized as wrestler of the week after he beat two-time All-American Zach Sanders of Minnesota earlier in the season.
Parks Earned National honor
Junior Jamal Parks secured national wrestler of the week honors by USA Wrestling and themat.com after he beat No. 3 Jason Chamberlain, 3-1, to help the Cowboys to a 28-6 win over No. 8 Boise State and followed with a 6-1 win over No. 20 Cole Dallaserra in OSU’s 34-3 win over Wyoming two days later.
Parks’ win over Chamberlain was the Bronco’s only defeat this season. Chamberlain placed fifth at the 2010 Junior World Championships in freestyle.
Rosholt, Too
Freshman Blake Rosholt was honored as the national wrestler of the week by themat.com on Dec. 13.
The unranked Rosholt provided the key spark in Oklahoma State’s 22-12 dual victory over No. 8 Oklahoma on Dec. 12 when he scored a 4-3 upset win over No. 8 Nathan Fernandez.
Foster Shining As a Senior
OSU senior Clayton Foster is a very real NCAA title candidate this year. A returning All-American (sixth in 2010), Foster enters the Big 12 Championships sporting a 20-0 record this season and a perfect 8-0 record against ranked opponents.
Perry Peaking for Post-Season
Freshman Chris Perry enters the Big 12 Championships wrestling at his best. He won 10 of his last 11 regular-season bouts, and making that figure more impressive is the fact that six of the 10 wins during that span came over ranked opponents.
The Stillwater native sports a 7-1 record all-time against the wrestlers expected to compete at the Big 12 Championships, winning each of his last seven bouts against the field.
Smith Reached Career Milestone
Oklahoma State coach John Smith reached a career milestone earlier in the season. The winningest coach in Cowboy Wrestling history with a career record of 311-46-6 entering the postseason, Smith became the first OSU coach ever to hit the 300-win milestone when the Cowboys dropped No. 24 Arizona State in Tempe by a 40-4 score on Jan. 2.
Asics All-Americans Live Here
Oklahoma State has six former Asics High School First-Team All-Americans competing in its wrestling room this season.
Jordan Oliver 2006
Albert White 2007
Mike Benefiel 2007
Clayton Foster 2007
Chris Perry 2009
Josh Kindig 2010
Fargo Champs, Too
A similar note can be made about the fact that Oklahoma State has seven former Fargo champions on the roster this year.
Clayton Foster 2006
Albert White 2006
Mike Benefiel 2007
Jon Morrison 2007
Jordan Oliver 2007
Jamal Parks 2007
Chris Perry 2008
Family Ties
Coach John Smith coaches three of his nephews this year. Chris Perry is the son of Smith’s sister, Cathy, and Zach White and Matt White are the sons of Smith’s sister, Mary Ann.
Blake Rosholt is the youngest of the Rosholt family. His older brother Jake was a three-time NCAA champion at OSU and another older brother, Jared, was a three-time All-American for the Cowboys. Older sister Jesyca was an all-Big 12 soccer player for Oklahoma State as well.
Dallas Bailey’s father, Leo, was a two-time All-American wrestler for the Cowboys in 1983 and 1986.
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