9 Wrestlers Crack the Top 20 for Oklahoma State
The Oklahoma State Wrestling program is gaining major momentum this season and they haven’t even officially set foot on the mat this year. It has been a rollercoaster year for the Cowboys wrestling team. They added new head coach David Taylor to the mix and the Cowboys RTC continued to grow.
Taylor made the announcement that he would be competing one last time in the Senior World Championship and it once again threw a wrench in the start of the wrestling season for Oklahoma State. The Magic Man once again showed why he is one of the best wrestlers in the history of the sport as he finished the World Championships with a bronze medal.
This was David Taylor’s response when asked why he didn’t leave his shoes on the mat after the final match of his career. pic.twitter.com/QEE5MB5DZ9
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 4, 2024
In the days ensuing the World Championships, Taylor was asked why he didn’t leave his shoes on the mat in a sign of retirement. Taylor mentioned that he wasn’t finished with the sport just yet. “I have a recruiting trip in the morning,” said Taylor.
Just with the addition of a mat specialist like Taylor to the Cowboys’ coaching staff, the program headed towards greatness, and they are still a week away from their first official meet of the season. The voters knew what was about to happen in Stillwater and they took notice in the recent collegiate wrestling polls.
Make that four Cowboys in the top-five 📈
— OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) November 5, 2024
📰: https://t.co/oznWHG2NlH#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/Ec5SBD1unF
Oklahoma State enters the season ranked third in the nation only behind powerhouse Penn State at No. 1 and Iowa at No. 2. The rankings get all that more impressive when they are broken down in individual weight classes.
The Cowboys have nine wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of the Intermat rankings for the 2024-25 season. Luke Surber cracks the top 20 in the 197-pound weight class while Carter Young holds down the 17th spot at 149. Tagen Jamison comes in at 14th in the 141-pound weight class, and the remaining six wrestlers are ranked in the top 10.
Teague Travis wrestles at 157 and is ranked No. 9 and Troy Spratley is currently ranked No. 6 at 125 pounds. Both Cameron Amine at 165 and Dean Mamiti Jr. at 174 are ranked No. 5 in their respective weight classes. Dustin Plott is the third-best wrestler in the nation in the 184-pound weight class. The highest ranked Cowboy to start the season is heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson who ranked No. 2 in all of the land.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys officially open the season on November 15 when they head to Utah to take on Utah Valley.
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Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.