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This Sunday at 2pm Oklahoma State University wrestling will welcome the fifth-ranked, and four-time defending National Champions, Penn State University. The Nittany Lions come into Stillwater on senior day for the Cowboys, and Pokes have something special planned.
With a huge crowd expected, OSU is looking to bring back the magic that once surrounded wrestling in the hallowed halls of Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The huge idea? Raise the wrestling mat on a stage about three feet above the court, and putting floor seats all the way up to the stage for this top 10 duel between wrestling powerhouses. In a sport where, in today's day and age, most of the noise comes from the PA announcer calling out points scored, or the coaches screaming instructions at the wrestlers, crowd noise will become a huge factor once again! It will be loud and clear to Penn State that they are no longer in Happy Valley! It's time to bring the rowdy back to wrestling!
One thing is for sure, Penn State will have to adjust very quickly when they walk onto the mat on Sunday afternoon, and the Oklahoma State student body will make it their goal to send the Nittany Lions back home with their tails between their legs.
Three seniors will be recognized on Sunday, Josh Kindig, Ethan Driver and Quinten Patterson. For Kindig, an Auburn, PA native, this will be a special match. Wrestling against a top five team from your home state is certainly something you dream of, but for Kindig this is all about ending his career on a high note. Almost a year ago Kindig won a 5-3 decision against Zack Beitz from Penn State, so a win on Sunday in his final match at Gallagher Iba Arena would cement his great OSU wrestling career.
Former wrestling star, Jay Arneson, will be presented with the 2015 Gallagher Award before the dual, presented annually to OSU alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions. Arneson wrestled for the Cowboys from 1969-1972 and held a career record of 59-27-5.
This historic wrestling match will be something you won't want to miss, so make sure you stop by Gallagher-Iba this Sunday, and cheer on your Oklahoma State Cowboys as they look to close the home season on a very high note.
UPDATE:
A previous version of this article stated that the Paddle People would be making noise at the event. While that may still happen, at this point it's just an idea. There are some logistics to work out to make it happen. Therefore, it's not a guaranteed that the student group will be able to paddle. We apologize to OSU Athletics and the Paddle People for the error.