Cowboy wrestling coach can't make sense of seeding for Big 12 tournament
Feb. 28—John Smith is none too pleased with the seeding committee for this weekend's Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championships in Tulsa.
"I was really frustrated with a couple of weight classes — trying to get to the same answer that the committee got to," the Oklahoma State wrestling coach said. "I feel like at couple of weight classes it's not right. We need some sort of meeting to finalize seeding, and have a chance to at least discuss why you think that something should be changed. and we were told that there's nothing there for us to argue."
Oklahoma State has six wrestlers seeding in the top four of their respective weights with Daton Fix (133 pounds), Kaden Gfeller (157) and Dustin Plott (174) with the highest seeds among Cowboy wrestlers with Fix as the top seed in his weight, while Gfeller and Plott are the second seed in their weights.
Travis Wittlake, who is wrestling up at 184 pounds for the first time, is the No. 3 seed at his weight. Former Stillwater High product Carter Young (141) and Luke Surber, who has trimmed down to wrestle at 197 this season, are the fourth seed for their respective weights.
Just outside of top four seeding is Victor Voinovich with the fifth seed at 149 pounds and Wyatt Sheets as the sixth seed at 165, while Konner Doucet is the only remaining Cowboy to earn a top eight seeding with the No. 8 seed at heavyweight.
Reece Witcraft is the lone Oklahoma State wrestler who did not earn a top eight seed at 125 pounds.
"I got a few concerns that I'd like to know a little bit more about," Smith said. "Why were some of these decision made. You're never going to be satisfied ... just seems to me they came to a conclusion and had to get some information from someone."
One of the biggest bones to pick for Smith was conference wrestlers dodging competition throughout the season.
He looks at that having been a benefit for those wrestlers when it came to seeding, instead of being penalized for not wrestling a common or tougher opponent.
"I think that if you sat out, it was better and people got a higher seed — because my guys didn't sit out," Smith said. "In our 17 dual meets this year, a total of 12 people wrestled. We had seven weight classes that wrestled every match. ...
"I think the committee at the NCAA championship look at it differently if you sat out and haven't wrestled."
Fortunately for Oklahoma State, if each of the Cowboys wrestle at least to their seeding, they should qualify for the NCAA tournament based on allocated qualifiers for the league.
Many of the Cowboys have some wiggle room if they are to slip up over the weekend, aside from two of the heavier weights. The Big 12 only qualifies the top four at 184 pounds — leaving little margin of error for Wittlake to lock up an automatic bid — while Doucet is seeded right at the total allotted (8) for heavyweight.
There is one Cowboy who most definitely has work to do, though.
With Witcraft having limited matches this season — moving into the starting lineup the final month of the dual season due to a season-ending injury sustained by NCAA qualifier Trevor Mastrogiovanni — he will need to claim one of the top six spots to punch his ticket to the national tournament that will be held in Tulsa.
"I want to see him go to nationals," Smith said. "If he wants more, I'd be proud of that. ... He's got bigger expectations than what mine are. I want him to go to nationals — go fight to go, and then help us at nationals. For him to go to nationals, he's got to be one of those six."
Follow News Press sports editor Jason Elmquist on Twitter @jelmquistSW for updates on Oklahoma State and high school athletics.
