Oklahoma State starters, led by seven champions, run away with Reno Tournament of Champions title
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by Roger Moore, Special to TheMat.com
Arena shot from the 2018 Reno Tournament of Champions from the event Twitter site.
RENO, Nev. – Oklahoma State brought most of its roster to the 23rd Reno Tournament of Champions. And by the time the one-day sprint was done on Thursday the fourth-ranked Cowboys crowned seven champions and outdistanced the field by 54 points. Michigan State, Old Dominion, Wyoming, and NAIA power Grandview rounded out the top five.
It was the first time in a decade OSU brought its starters to a tournament that opened for business in 1996 as a four-team dual event. John Smith’s small army was not perfect, but a trip that started at Northern Colorado on Sunday ended with more hardware for a program with plenty.
“I thought some of them wrestled to their competition,” Smith said. “Some of them looked tough, good, wrestled well. In the end it gives us a lot to look at. I liked that we were physical in a lot of matches. Daton Fix looked solid from the standpoint of being aggressive. Kaden Gfeller stretched his scores. Chandler (Rogers) just rolled through his bracket, and I thought Joe (Smith) wrestled pretty well for being off the mat so long.
“I don’t think I’m totally satisfied, but we gathered a lot of information and got to wrestle a bunch of matches.”
John Smith’s travelling party put 18 into the quarterfinals, advanced 12 to the semifinals, and won seven titles.
Two weight classes, 149 and 174, included a pair of teammates. Gfeller, a redshirt-freshman, beat Dusty Hone for the 149-pound title, while Jacobe and Joe Smith did not square off in the 174-pound finale. Joe Smith was strong all day, hammering Michigan State’s Drew Hughes, 16-3, in the semifinals. Jacobe Smith was not challenged.
“There is plenty of time. It’s December so we are not in a big hurry,” John Smith said. “Both of them are a little banged up after that many matches in a day and we are thinking about the big picture. There’s still time for us to decide what our lineup will look like.”
Fix, still unbeaten, rolled at 133 pounds to win his second Reno trophy. The former Junior World champion opened his collegiate career, as a redshirt, at the same event last December.
“We are a close group, having a lot of fun whether we are travelling or at home,” said Fix, who beat Michigan State’s Anthony Tutolo, 10-4, in the finals. “If you want to win you have to be ready every time you step out there. You can’t take anybody for granted, regardless who is in front of you. I love to wrestle so I’m going to wrestle hard every time no matter who it is.”
Fix was joined at the top of the medal stand by Gfeller, Nick Piccininni, who dominated all day, then edged Michigan State’s Rayvon Foley, 4-1, in the 125-pound final; Chandler Rogers, who finished his day with a first-period pin for the 165-pound crown; Dakota Geer, who used riding time to beat Wyoming’s Cale Davidson for 197-pound gold; and heavyweight Derek White, who also beat a Wyoming man in Brian Andrews, 6-2.
“It was a good test, being on the road for five, six days,” said the unbeaten Piccininni. “Traveling, training, it can be tough. I think we performed well (in Reno). I thought I could have wrestled better in the finals. But at the end of the day, it is what it is and I’ll go back and look at the things I think I can improve on and get back to work.”
OSU’s Jonce Blaylock advanced to the 157-pound final, but fell to Stanford All-American Paul Fox.
The other two champions were Sam Turner, who took out OSU All-American Kaid Brock in the semifinals, then Michigan State’s Austin Eicher, 6-0, in the 141-pound final, and Spartan 184-pounder Cameron Cathey, who bested Menlo College’s Anthony Orozco in his title bout.
Turner avenged a loss to OSU’s Kaid Brock earlier this year and was named Outstanding Wrestler.
“The biggest takeaway from this tournament for me is confidence,” said Turner, a product of Colorado Springs, Colo. “Knowing that I can wrestle with guys like Kaid (Brock). Not going out there with a mental disadvantage is so important. This is just Reno, but it is still a great step for me in preparing for March when it really counts. It will be nice to have a couple of days because I think we’ve had as tough a schedule as anyone out there.”
Grandview, winners of eight straight NAIA titles, provided a few surprises. Steven Lawrence pinned OSU’s Andrew Shomers in a 157-pound second round bout, while Shiquan Hall beat American’s Josh Terao, 7-6, in the quarterfinals. The Vikings’ Ryan Niven made a run to the finals, but ran into Rogers’ offensive arsenal.
Injuries, a common theme nationwide this season, continued to influence weekly results.
Old Dominion’s Larry Early, the top seed at 157 pounds, injury defaulted in the second round, with teammate Sa’Derian Perry, an All-American at Eastern Michigan last March, not taking the mat for his 141-pound quarterfinal.
Two seasons ago, Boo Lewallen shocked 2018 NCAA finalist Bryce Meredith of Wyoming in Reno. Lewallen, however, like many others, is on the sidelines due to injury. Gfeller, who fought for the 141-pound spot, is fitting right in at 149 pounds for John Smith.
“Guys get hurt, so you have to be ready,” said Gfeller, a four-time Oklahoma state champion. “I’m not cutting any weight so I feel good. I feel like I have a motor and I’m going to make every match a dogfight. Doesn’t matter if you are number one or 100, I’m going to battle.”
Oklahoma State will next do battle at the Southern Scuffle. The starters are expected in Chattanooga, Tenn.
RENO TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
at Reno, Nev., December 20
125
1st - Nick Piccinini (Oklahoma State) DEC Rayvon Foley (Michigan State), 4-1
3rd - Michael Mcgee (Old Dominion) DEC Gage Curry (American), 11-5
5th - Cole Verner (Wyoming) DEC Brandon Courtney (Arizona State), 13-7
133
1st - Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) DEC Anthony Tutolo (Michigan State), 10-4
3rd - Gary Wayne Harding (Unattached) MD Shiquan Hall (Grandview), 14-4
5th - Josh Terao (American) TF Steven Simpson (Old Dominion), 15-0 3:06
141
1st - Sam Turner (Wyoming) DEC Austin Eicher (Michigan State), 6-0
3rd - Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) TF Brody Lamb (Unattached), 21-5 5:59
5th - Zander Silva (Cal Baptist) DEC Alex Hrisopoulos (Michigan State), 6-4
149
1st - Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) MD Dustin Hone (Oklahoma State), 13-5
3rd - Kenan Carter (Old Dominion) DEC Peyton Omania (Unattached), 6-0
5th - Lane Stigall (Unattached) DEC Jaden Enriquez (Michigan State), 10-5
157
1st - Paul Fox (Stanford) DEC Jonce Blaylock (Oklahoma State), 5-3
3rd - Jacob Wright (Unattached) DEC Dewey Krueger (Wyoming), 3-0
5th - Jake Tucker (Michigan State) NC Rian Burris (The Citadel)
165
1st - Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) F Ryan Niven (Grandview), 2:04
3rd - Shane Jones (Old Dominion) DEC Anthony Wokasch (American), 6-4
5th - Shane Griffith (Unattached) MD Dazjon Casto (The Citadel), 10-2
174
1st - Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State) M FOR Joseph Smith (Oklahoma State)
3rd - Seldon Wright (Old Dominion) DEC Drew Hughes (Michigan State), 6-3
5th - Dominic Kincaid (Fresno State) NC Casey Randles (Wyoming)
184
1st - Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) DEC Anthony Orozco (Menlo), 13-6
3rd - Tate Samuelson (Unattached) DEC Anthony Montolvo (Unattached), 4-1
5th - Tanner Harvey (American) DEC Antonio Agee (Old Dominion), 6-5
197
1st - Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) DEC Cale Davidson (Wyoming), 5-4
3rd - Sawyer Root (The Citadel) DEC Isaac Bartel (Montana State-Northern), 5-2
5th - Brad Wilton (Michigan State) NC Josh Hokit (Fresno State)
285
1st - Derek White (Oklahoma State) DEC Brian Andrews (Wyoming), 6-2
3rd - Cooper Thomas (Grandview) DEC Trevor Rasmussen (Stanford), 8-3
5th - Chase Trussell (Unattached) NC David Showunmi (Stanford)
Team Standings
1 Oklahoma State 204.5
2 Michigan State 150.5
3 Old Dominion 116
4 Wyoming 112
5 Grandview 87
6 The Citadel 58
7 American 57.5
8 Menlo 39.5
9 Clackamas 38.5
9 Stanford 38.5
11 Cal Baptist 35.5
12 Embry-Riddle 30.5
12 Fresno State 30.5
14 CSU Bakersfield 29.5
15 Southern Oregon 29
16 Montana State-Northern 28.5
17 Arizona State 25.5
17 Cal Poly 25.5
19 Umpqua CC 15
20 Oregon State 12
21 Simpson 11
22 Minot State University 7.5
22 Southwestern Oregon CC 7.5
24 Pacific University 6.5
25 Treasure Valley CC 3
Outstanding Wrestler - Sam Turner, Wyoming
RENO, Nev. – Oklahoma State brought most of its roster to the 23rd Reno Tournament of Champions. And by the time the one-day sprint was done on Thursday the fourth-ranked Cowboys crowned seven champions and outdistanced the field by 54 points. Michigan State, Old Dominion, Wyoming, and NAIA power Grandview rounded out the top five.
It was the first time in a decade OSU brought its starters to a tournament that opened for business in 1996 as a four-team dual event. John Smith’s small army was not perfect, but a trip that started at Northern Colorado on Sunday ended with more hardware for a program with plenty.
“I thought some of them wrestled to their competition,” Smith said. “Some of them looked tough, good, wrestled well. In the end it gives us a lot to look at. I liked that we were physical in a lot of matches. Daton Fix looked solid from the standpoint of being aggressive. Kaden Gfeller stretched his scores. Chandler (Rogers) just rolled through his bracket, and I thought Joe (Smith) wrestled pretty well for being off the mat so long.
“I don’t think I’m totally satisfied, but we gathered a lot of information and got to wrestle a bunch of matches.”
John Smith’s travelling party put 18 into the quarterfinals, advanced 12 to the semifinals, and won seven titles.
Two weight classes, 149 and 174, included a pair of teammates. Gfeller, a redshirt-freshman, beat Dusty Hone for the 149-pound title, while Jacobe and Joe Smith did not square off in the 174-pound finale. Joe Smith was strong all day, hammering Michigan State’s Drew Hughes, 16-3, in the semifinals. Jacobe Smith was not challenged.
“There is plenty of time. It’s December so we are not in a big hurry,” John Smith said. “Both of them are a little banged up after that many matches in a day and we are thinking about the big picture. There’s still time for us to decide what our lineup will look like.”
Fix, still unbeaten, rolled at 133 pounds to win his second Reno trophy. The former Junior World champion opened his collegiate career, as a redshirt, at the same event last December.
“We are a close group, having a lot of fun whether we are travelling or at home,” said Fix, who beat Michigan State’s Anthony Tutolo, 10-4, in the finals. “If you want to win you have to be ready every time you step out there. You can’t take anybody for granted, regardless who is in front of you. I love to wrestle so I’m going to wrestle hard every time no matter who it is.”
Fix was joined at the top of the medal stand by Gfeller, Nick Piccininni, who dominated all day, then edged Michigan State’s Rayvon Foley, 4-1, in the 125-pound final; Chandler Rogers, who finished his day with a first-period pin for the 165-pound crown; Dakota Geer, who used riding time to beat Wyoming’s Cale Davidson for 197-pound gold; and heavyweight Derek White, who also beat a Wyoming man in Brian Andrews, 6-2.
“It was a good test, being on the road for five, six days,” said the unbeaten Piccininni. “Traveling, training, it can be tough. I think we performed well (in Reno). I thought I could have wrestled better in the finals. But at the end of the day, it is what it is and I’ll go back and look at the things I think I can improve on and get back to work.”
OSU’s Jonce Blaylock advanced to the 157-pound final, but fell to Stanford All-American Paul Fox.
The other two champions were Sam Turner, who took out OSU All-American Kaid Brock in the semifinals, then Michigan State’s Austin Eicher, 6-0, in the 141-pound final, and Spartan 184-pounder Cameron Cathey, who bested Menlo College’s Anthony Orozco in his title bout.
Turner avenged a loss to OSU’s Kaid Brock earlier this year and was named Outstanding Wrestler.
“The biggest takeaway from this tournament for me is confidence,” said Turner, a product of Colorado Springs, Colo. “Knowing that I can wrestle with guys like Kaid (Brock). Not going out there with a mental disadvantage is so important. This is just Reno, but it is still a great step for me in preparing for March when it really counts. It will be nice to have a couple of days because I think we’ve had as tough a schedule as anyone out there.”
Grandview, winners of eight straight NAIA titles, provided a few surprises. Steven Lawrence pinned OSU’s Andrew Shomers in a 157-pound second round bout, while Shiquan Hall beat American’s Josh Terao, 7-6, in the quarterfinals. The Vikings’ Ryan Niven made a run to the finals, but ran into Rogers’ offensive arsenal.
Injuries, a common theme nationwide this season, continued to influence weekly results.
Old Dominion’s Larry Early, the top seed at 157 pounds, injury defaulted in the second round, with teammate Sa’Derian Perry, an All-American at Eastern Michigan last March, not taking the mat for his 141-pound quarterfinal.
Two seasons ago, Boo Lewallen shocked 2018 NCAA finalist Bryce Meredith of Wyoming in Reno. Lewallen, however, like many others, is on the sidelines due to injury. Gfeller, who fought for the 141-pound spot, is fitting right in at 149 pounds for John Smith.
“Guys get hurt, so you have to be ready,” said Gfeller, a four-time Oklahoma state champion. “I’m not cutting any weight so I feel good. I feel like I have a motor and I’m going to make every match a dogfight. Doesn’t matter if you are number one or 100, I’m going to battle.”
Oklahoma State will next do battle at the Southern Scuffle. The starters are expected in Chattanooga, Tenn.
RENO TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
at Reno, Nev., December 20
125
1st - Nick Piccinini (Oklahoma State) DEC Rayvon Foley (Michigan State), 4-1
3rd - Michael Mcgee (Old Dominion) DEC Gage Curry (American), 11-5
5th - Cole Verner (Wyoming) DEC Brandon Courtney (Arizona State), 13-7
133
1st - Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) DEC Anthony Tutolo (Michigan State), 10-4
3rd - Gary Wayne Harding (Unattached) MD Shiquan Hall (Grandview), 14-4
5th - Josh Terao (American) TF Steven Simpson (Old Dominion), 15-0 3:06
141
1st - Sam Turner (Wyoming) DEC Austin Eicher (Michigan State), 6-0
3rd - Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) TF Brody Lamb (Unattached), 21-5 5:59
5th - Zander Silva (Cal Baptist) DEC Alex Hrisopoulos (Michigan State), 6-4
149
1st - Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) MD Dustin Hone (Oklahoma State), 13-5
3rd - Kenan Carter (Old Dominion) DEC Peyton Omania (Unattached), 6-0
5th - Lane Stigall (Unattached) DEC Jaden Enriquez (Michigan State), 10-5
157
1st - Paul Fox (Stanford) DEC Jonce Blaylock (Oklahoma State), 5-3
3rd - Jacob Wright (Unattached) DEC Dewey Krueger (Wyoming), 3-0
5th - Jake Tucker (Michigan State) NC Rian Burris (The Citadel)
165
1st - Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) F Ryan Niven (Grandview), 2:04
3rd - Shane Jones (Old Dominion) DEC Anthony Wokasch (American), 6-4
5th - Shane Griffith (Unattached) MD Dazjon Casto (The Citadel), 10-2
174
1st - Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State) M FOR Joseph Smith (Oklahoma State)
3rd - Seldon Wright (Old Dominion) DEC Drew Hughes (Michigan State), 6-3
5th - Dominic Kincaid (Fresno State) NC Casey Randles (Wyoming)
184
1st - Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) DEC Anthony Orozco (Menlo), 13-6
3rd - Tate Samuelson (Unattached) DEC Anthony Montolvo (Unattached), 4-1
5th - Tanner Harvey (American) DEC Antonio Agee (Old Dominion), 6-5
197
1st - Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) DEC Cale Davidson (Wyoming), 5-4
3rd - Sawyer Root (The Citadel) DEC Isaac Bartel (Montana State-Northern), 5-2
5th - Brad Wilton (Michigan State) NC Josh Hokit (Fresno State)
285
1st - Derek White (Oklahoma State) DEC Brian Andrews (Wyoming), 6-2
3rd - Cooper Thomas (Grandview) DEC Trevor Rasmussen (Stanford), 8-3
5th - Chase Trussell (Unattached) NC David Showunmi (Stanford)
Team Standings
1 Oklahoma State 204.5
2 Michigan State 150.5
3 Old Dominion 116
4 Wyoming 112
5 Grandview 87
6 The Citadel 58
7 American 57.5
8 Menlo 39.5
9 Clackamas 38.5
9 Stanford 38.5
11 Cal Baptist 35.5
12 Embry-Riddle 30.5
12 Fresno State 30.5
14 CSU Bakersfield 29.5
15 Southern Oregon 29
16 Montana State-Northern 28.5
17 Arizona State 25.5
17 Cal Poly 25.5
19 Umpqua CC 15
20 Oregon State 12
21 Simpson 11
22 Minot State University 7.5
22 Southwestern Oregon CC 7.5
24 Pacific University 6.5
25 Treasure Valley CC 3
Outstanding Wrestler - Sam Turner, Wyoming
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