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Oklahoma State wrestling: Nick Piccininni repeats as Cowboys win 2020 Southern Scuffle team title

Kaden Gfeller falls short of becoming a three-time champion.

By Brandon M. Cain
Oklahoma State’s Nick Piccininni looks to turn Lock Haven’s Luke Werner on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Oklahoma State won the Southern Scuffle team title for the first time since 2017 with 116 points, and Nick Piccininni repeated as the 125-pound champion Thursday at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Cowboys claimed the team title with seven place-winners, including three third-place finishes. North Carolina State was the runner-up with 109 points, followed by Stanford’s 99.5 points and a tournament-high three individual champions.

Piccininni scored his fourth bonus-point win of the tournament with a 10-0 major decision against No. 6 seed Luke Werner of Lock Haven in the final. The redshirt senior Cowboy escaped nine seconds in the second period then 24 seconds later scored a takedown and rode out the period. He added a takedown nine seconds into the third and had another ride out to force two stalling calls for the victory.

Kaden Gfeller, who made his season debut at the tournament at 141 pounds, dropped his final bout 6-1 to No. 3 seed Real Woods of Stanford. Woods slipped out of Gfeller’s arm throw attempt 56 seconds into the first period then rode out the Cowboy for rest of the period and the entire second frame. Gfeller gave up an escape and was taken down in the third, but managed to escape late to avoid a shutout.

Dusty Hone (141), Wyatt Sheets (157) and Travis Wittlake (165) each took third by decision.

Hone reversed Kyle Shoop of Lock Haven 18 seconds into the third period for a 3-0 lead before Shoop escaped 17 seconds later. Hone held off Shoop’s attacks for the win. Sheets scored a double-leg takedown with two seconds remaining in the first period then fended off two shot attempts late in the next two periods for a 3-1 decision against No. 3 seed Matt Zovistoski of Appalachian State. Wittlake scored a takedown in each period — including one with two seconds remaining in the first — and a reversal in the third, but was unable to get a fourth for a major decision with a 9-3 win against North Carolina State’s Thomas Bullard.

Dakota Geer (197) claimed fifth place with a 7-3 decision against No. 7 seed Jacob Cardenas, who is committed to Cornell. After being taken down eight seconds into the match, the top-seeded Geer escaped and scored a takedown for a 3-2 lead entering the second period. Geer then reversed Cardenas and racked up riding time for the victory.

Anthony Montalvo (184) took sixth after a medical forfeit.

What’s next

The Cowboys host Big 12 foe Northern Colorado at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Southern Scuffle results

Top-10 team results

  1. OSU — 116
  2. NC State — 109
  3. Stanford — 99.5
  4. Pittsburgh — 93
  5. North Dakota State — 92.5
  6. Northern Colorado — 85
  7. Rutgers — 84
  8. Rider — 72.5
  9. Appalachian State — 67
  10. Lock Haven — 64.5

Finals

125: No. 1 Nick Piccininni def. No. 6 Luke Werner (Lock Haven), 10-0 MD

141: No. 3 Real Woods (Stanford) def. No. 1 Kaden Gfeller, 6-1 DEC

Third-place matches

141: Dusty Hone def. Kyle Shoop (Lock Haven), 3-1 DEC

157: Wyatt Sheets def. No. 3 Matt Zovistoski (Appalachian State), 3-1 DEC

165: No. 5 Travis Wittlake def. Thomas Bullard (North Carolina State), 9-3 DEC

Fifth-place matches

184: David Key (NAPS) def. No. 8 Anthony Motalvo, M FOR

197: No. 1 Dakota Geer def. No. 7 Jacob Cardenas (Finger Lakes RTC), 7-3 DEC

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