2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships: Oklahoma State puts 4 in quarterfinals

Oklahoma State advanced four wrestlers to the quarterfinals Thursday at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

Nick Piccininni (125) won by major decision, while Daton Fix (133), Preston Weigel (197) and Derek White (heavyweight) all advanced with victories by decision.

closed out the first day of the NCAA Wrestling Championships in a tied with Minnesota for fourth place with 20 points Thursday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

The Cowboys went 5-4 during the second session and are in tied with Minnesota for fourth place in the team race. Penn State, who is looking to win its fourth straight team title, leads the tournament with 32.5 points. Ohio State is second at 25.5 points followed by Iowa at 24.

No. 2 Piccininni improved to 32-0 this season with a 12-3 major decision over No. 15 Elijah Oliver of Indiana. The redshirt junior scored four takedowns en route to his 25th bonus-point win this season.

No. 1 Fix came close to a major decision against No. 16 Matthew Schmitt of West Virginia. With Fix up 8-3 with riding time locked with less than 20 seconds remaining the third period, the Cowboy pushed for a takedown on the boundary line on the left side of the mat but they went out of bounds. Fix made one last-second takedown attempt, but was unable to convert in a 9-3 decision to improve to 33-1 during his freshman campaign.

Piccininni will face No. 7 Pat Glory of Princeton and Fix meets No. 8 John Erneste of Missouri in the quarterfinals. Both Fix and Piccininni beat their opponents earlier this season.

No. 15 Kaid Brock (141), No. 7 Jacobe Smith (174) and No. 26 Dakota Geer (184) all dropped their second round bouts.

Brock was no match for No. 2 Joey McKenna of Ohio State at 141 pounds. In a bout featuring two two-time All-Americans, the Cowboy scored just one point on an escape in the third period in a 11-1 loss. Brock

Jacobe Smith was taken down and turned to his back by No. 10 Mikey Labriola of Nebraska with 16 seconds left in the second period. Labriola escaped and took Jacobe down just 36 seconds into the third to upset the Cowboy with an 8-4 decision.

No. 10 Samuel Colbray scored three takedowns against Geer en route to a 7-4 decision to send the Cowboy to the consolation bracket.

In the consolation bracket, No. 33 Joe Smith (165) stayed alive with a 3-1 decision over No. 17 Jonathan Viruet of Brown. Joe scored a takedown late in the first period and an escape in the second to advance to the second consolation round.

No. 7 Kaden Gfeller (149) was bounced from the tournament by No. 23 Joshua Maruca of Arizona State. Trailing 5-2, Gfeller tried to tilt Maruca to his back for nearfall points but the Sun Devil reversed it and locked in riding time for a 8-3 decision.

OSU’s eight remaining wrestlers will compete at 10 a.m. Friday, with the session televised on ESPNU and every match on every mat available on watchespn.com.

Session II results

Championship second round

125: No. 2 Nick Piccininni (OSU) major dec. No. 15 Elijah Oliver (Indiana), 13-2

133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) dec. No. 16 Matthew Schmitt (West Virginia), 9-3

141: No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) major dec. No. 15 Kaid Brock (OSU), 14-1

174: No. 10 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) dec. No. 7 Jacobe Smith (OSU), 8-4

184: No. 10 Samuel Colbray (Iowa State) dec. No. 26 Dakota Geer (OSU), 7-4

197: No. 3 Preston Weigel (OSU) dec. No. 14 Eric Schultz (Nebraska), 7-2

285: No. 1 Derek White (OSU) dec. No. 16 Chase Singletary (Ohio State), 5-2

Consolation First Round

149: No. 7 Kaden Gfeller (OSU) vs. No. 23 Joshua Maruca (Arizona State)

165: No. 33 Joe Smith (OSU) dec. No. 17 Jonathan Viruet (Brown), 3-1

Session III schedule

Quarterfinal round

125: No. 2 Nick Piccininni (OSU) vs. No. 7 Pat Glory (Princeton)

133: No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) vs. No. 8 John Erneste (Missouri)

197: No. 3 Preston Weigel (OSU) vs. No. 11 Christian Brunner (Purdue)

HWT: No. 1 Derek White (OSU) vs. No. 9 Matt Stencel (Central Michigan)

Consolation second round

141: No. 15 Kaid Brock (OSU) vs. No. 17 Ian Parker (Iowa State)

165: No. 33 Joe Smith (OSU) vs. No. 15 Connor Flynn (Missouri)

174: No. 7 Jacobe Smith (OSU) vs. No. 25 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming)

184: No. 26 Dakota Geer (OSU) vs. No. 25 Max Lyon (Purdue)