Cowboys Confident After Break

By Ben Elder Daily O’Collegian

Stillwater, OK (U-WIRE) — The Oklahoma State University wrestling squad made great strides toward improvement over the Christmas holiday.

The team traveled West to compete in the Reno Tournament of Champions and face Cal Poly and Fresno State in a dual-header.

The Cowboys were successful in all three events they competed in.

At the Reno Tournament of Champions, the Cowboys won the team title and had five first place finishers.

“It was a good trip for me, “said junior Jake Rosholt. “It gave me the opportunity to see where I stand and see what I need to improve on.”

Rosholt was one of the five wrestlers that pulled away with the title, the other first place finishers include; senior Chris Pendleton, junior Steve Mocco, junior Zac Esposito and sophomore Johny Hendricks.

After the Reno tournament, the Cowboys headed to California for a dual-header.

Cal Poly was the first dual of the day for the Cowboys.

The squad was led by the four No. 1 ranked wrestlers, who all recorded falls in the 32-9 victory.

“It was good to see us win as a team, “said coach John Smith. “We did what we needed to win convincingly, and we should win convincingly.”

After the Poly dual, the Cowboys had little time to prepare for the second match of the day.

This little amount of time had no impact on the Cowboys performance.

After an impressive fall by freshman Justin Porter, the Cowboys cruised to victory over the Bulldogs, 34-6.

“This proved that we can go out there and get a win whether it is on the road or at home, “Hendricks said.

With a long road trip behind their backs and three wins to show for it, the Cowboy wrestlers enjoyed a mere three-day vacation.

After their short holidays, the squad was back in the 85-degree training room, while the rest of Stillwater was enjoying freezing temperatures.

“We are getting prepared for what we need to do now, “Rosholt said, “It has really tested our dedication and drive to the sport.”

Smith said he believed the two week training period was completely beneficial for the squad.

“We have had a hard 14 days of training, “Smith said, “This is probably some of the hardest training I have done in my coaching career. “This training period, Smith said he believes, is achieved through preparation and mental toughness that will allow the Cowboys to outlast their opponents in the third period.

“Preparation is everything, nothing is easy, “Smith said, “Individually, if you want to build mental toughness, it is achieved when you are tired and you do not want to work anymore.”

With a tough January schedule ahead, the Cowboy wrestlers said they believe they have truly benefited from this training.

“With these 14 days of working your butt off, you build shape, you build confidence and mental toughness, “Hendricks said. “With all of those in hand you have everything you need to win a match.”

With this new confidence, the Cowboy wrestlers are ready for the second half of the season.

“We are getting prepared for what we need to do now and that is winning a national championship, “Rosholt said.

The Cowboys’ No. 1 position will be tested Thursday when they face Michigan State inside Gallagher-Iba Arena at 7 p.m. The match was originally scheduled for last week, but the Spartans were forced to reschedule due to inclement weather that grounded their flight.