Oklahoma State wrestling: No. 9 Cowboys rout Northern Colorado, 36-3

The ninth-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling scored six bonus-point wins in a 36-3 victory against Northern Colorado on Sunday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.

Fourth-ranked Nick Piccininni (125), No. 9 Travis Wittlake (165) and No. 11 Dakota Geer (197) each had a technical fall, while Dusty Hone (141), Wyatt Sheets (157) and Andrew Shomers (174) each put up a major decision.

The Cowboys (5-1, 2-0 Big 12) picked up the dual win against Northern Colorado (1-2, 1-2) without No. 10 Kaden Gfeller and No. 11 Joe Smith at 141 and 174, respectively. Gfeller and Smith — both of whom made their season debuts during the first week of January at the Southern Scuffle — weighed in Sunday.

Piccininni started the dual with seven takedowns and 3:56 of riding time in a 20-5 tech fall against Jace Koelzer.

At 133, No. 19 Mosha Schwartz of Northern Colorado scored a go-behind takedown with 18 seconds remaining for a 12-11 win against Reece Witcraft to tie the dual 3-3. Witcraft scored a four takedowns in the first, then each wrestler exchanged a takedown and escape in the third for Witcraft to lead 11-10 before Schwartz stuffed a shot attempt and circled behind for the win.

Hone shut out Chris Sandoval at 141 in a decisive 8-0 major decision, which included two takedowns, two stall points and riding time, for OSU to take a 6-3 dual lead.

Third-ranked Boo Lewallen, who did not compete at the Southern Scuffle after he did not pass a skin check, defeated No. 17 Andrew Alirez of Northern Colorado 11-4 at 149. Lewallen escaped to start the third period then scored a single-leg takedown for a 6-3 lead when Alirez tried to roll through. Lewallen turned Alirez with a cross-arm bar tilt with 20 seconds remaining and racked up riding time to improve to 10-0 this season.

Sheets and Wittlake put on a showcase at 157 and 165 for the Cowboys to pull away for an 18-3 lead. Sheets scored five takedowns in the third period for a 17-4 major decision against Nathan Moore then Wittlake had two takedowns and three four-point near falls for a 16-1 tech fall in 2:23 against Macoy Flanagan.

Shomers posted the second 8-0 major decision of the dual with three takedowns, a stall point and 4:34 of riding time against Billy Higgins at 174 for a 22-3 OSU lead.

Anthony Montalvo rallied after an early takedown for a 6-3 decision against Alan Clothier at 184. Montalvo used a fireman’s throw in the first, then reversed Clothier and looked to go up 7-2 on a takedown but it was overturned after a coach’s challenge. The Cowboy rode out the third period for the win.

Geer scored a takedown and four-point near fall on a cradle in the first against Seth Bogulski, then poured it on in the second with four takedowns for a 19-3 tech fall at 4:35. Austin Harris closed out the dual with a 4-3 decision on a pass-by takedown in the third period against Robert Winters.

What’s next

The Cowboys host West Virginia (3-6, 0-1) in a Big 12 dual at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17 in Stillwater.

No. 9 Oklahoma State 36, Northern Colorado 3

125: No. 4 Piccininni (OSU) def. Koelzer (UNC), 20-5 TF
133: No. 19 Schwartz (UNC) def. Witcraft (OSU), 12-11 DEC
141: Hone (OSU) def. Sandoval (UNC), 8-0 MD
149: No. 3 Lewallen (OSU) def. Alirez (UNC), 11-4 DEC
157: Sheets (OSU) def. Moore (UNC), 17-4 MD
165: No. 9 Wittlake (OSU) def. Flanagan (UNC), 16-1 TF (2:23)
174: Shomers (OSU) def. Higgins (UNC), 8-0 MD
184: Montalvo (OSU) def. Clothier (UNC), 6-3 DEC
197: No. 11 Geer (OSU) def. Bogulski (UNC), 19-3 TF (4:35)
HWT: Harris (OSU) def. Winters (UNC), 4-3 DEC