Oklahoma State wrestling: Alex Dieringer determined to compete at 2021 Olympic Trials after ACL surgery

Alex Dieringer had reconstructive surgery on his ACL and meniscus Wednesday, the former Oklahoma State star wrestler announced on Instagram.

“Although a situation like this can make me feel down, I’ll never feel out,” the three-time NCAA champion and 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy winner wrote. “I’m determined to come back stronger than ever before. I will stay positive and do everything in my power to make sure I am ready for the Olympics Trials.”

The Trials were scheduled for April 4-5, 2020 at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State, before they were postponed to 2021 because of COVID-19 health concerns. The event is expected to be held next April, which would give Dieringer only five months to recover from a surgery that usually takes much longer to recover from.

Dieringer last competed in a freestyle match against Bo Nickal in a Nittany Lion Wrestling Club event in September, when he fell 1-1 on criteria.

In June, Dieringer moved to the Michigan RTC in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after nine years in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He won the Bill Farrell International last November and earned top-three finishes at the 2019 U.S. Senior Nationals the next month (bronze), Matteo Pellicone International in January (silver) and won the Pan-American Championships in March.