Daton Fix to Take an Olympic Redshirt Year
STILLWATER -- The 2019-20 season for Oklahoma State wrestling is going to be a little tougher than anticipated as they'll be without a few key wrestlers for a majority of the year.
As the title suggests, John Smith confirmed Thursday afternoon that sophomore Daton Fix will be taking an Olympic redshirt year to try and make the team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
The Cowboys will also start the season without 133-pounder Kaid Brock who suffered a knee injury over the summer. It's estimated that he'll miss the entire fall semester, but could be back for the second semester.
"The schedule got a lot tougher for us," said coach John Smith. "The month of August was a really tough month for us because we lost a few people. Kaid Brock hurting his knee, [Andrew] Marsden, who's not in school right now recovering from a health issue, hopefully we'll get him back. Missed out on a heavyweight. Of course Daton Fix, we visited with Daton and decided for him to take an Olympic redshirt. So, in about a one week period, it seemed like it kind of went south on us leading into the season, but we're going to be okay. We're just going to really need to focus on dual meets and how we're going to win dual meets. I think we're going to be a lot tougher tournament team, which is a good thing, but we also take a lot of pride in our dual meets."
While missing Fix in the lineup will be a problem for the Pokes this season, it's such a huge opportunity for not only Fix, but for the program as well.
Fix has spent several years now wrestling at the highest levels in the world and doing so very well. He finished his high school career with a perfect 168-0 record and as a four-time Oklahoma state champion. He won a Junior World Champion in 2017, a bronze at Junior Worlds in 2016, bronze at Cadet Worlds in 2015 and a silver at the 2014 Youth Olympics. He was also a six-time Junior Nationals Champ.
Following his redshirt freshman year at Oklahoma State where he won his first Big 12 Conference title and became the 10th freshman in Oklahoma State history to reach the national finals match, he became the 38th All-American freshman in program history. He also became the youngest Cowboy to make a US Senior World team since John Smith and he also defeated Thomas Gilman in a best-of-three at Final X: Lincoln.
"It's an important part of our program," Smith said of potentially having an Olympian on the team in Fix. "Just look around, that's what a lot of high-level recruits focus on, is they want to continue on and wrestle in the World and Olympic championships. They get that chance [here]. Obviously, it was important to me, it was one of the reason why I came to Oklahoma State and I think that's another reason why we have good [recruiting] classes and the reason why Daton Fix is here. So, we darn sure want to give him that opportunity to put him the best scenario. That scenario could change, but it's only a change if we think something's better for him to make that Olympic team."
The best advice that coach Smith gave was right after that quote. "But remember, you've got to make the Olympic team to win a medal. Making the Olympic team is not easy, it's very, very tough."
Oklahoma State starts the 2019-20 on Friday, Nov. 15 at Drexel in Philadelphia, PA, and will follow that up with a showdown against Lehigh at Lehigh on Nov. 16. The Pokes first home dual will be against Minnesota on Nov. 24.
