Oklahoma State wrestler Dustin Plott back in spotlight in Cowboys' big weekend matchups
STILLWATER — The strain of the week was showing on Dustin Plott’s face.
Not long after the Oklahoma State wrestler’s victory in the 184-pound match against Oregon State’s Trey Munoz last Sunday, Plott spoke about the difficulty of the week he had just endured.
He had dealt with an illness that prevented him from working out most of the week heading into a match against Munoz, the nation’s fourth-ranked wrestler in the weight class.
Neither Plott’s health nor his conditioning were at their max, yet he came out with the win anyway, maintaining his No. 2 ranking and earning the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honor.
“A lot of guys in the country, if they only get to practice two times in a week, going and wrestling the No. 4 guy in the country, they’re gonna say, ‘Ah, you know, I don’t need to wrestle this match. I only had two days of practice. I don’t feel good,’” Plott’s OSU teammate Daton Fix said.
“But this guy is one of the toughest guys in the country, so he’s gonna step up and take on that challenge even if he might not feel the best. He’s gonna go out there and fight for our team, and that’s the kind of guys you want to go to battle with.”
More: Young Oklahoma State wrestling team leaning on Daton Fix's talent, guidance
Plott finally cracked a smile.
“Thanks, buddy,” he said, flashing the grin that is absent in front two teeth and high-fiving Fix.
But this time of year, the challenges rarely fade when you’re an Oklahoma State wrestler.
And Plott is back in the spotlight this weekend as the fifth-ranked Cowboys welcome to Gallagher-Iba Arena No. 22 Northern Iowa at 7 p.m. Friday and No. 4 Iowa State at 6 p.m. Saturday.
For Plott, a pair of top-10 opponents await — starting with the only guy in the country ranked ahead of him, Northern Iowa’s No. 1 Parker Keckeisen. Iowa State will send out No. 10 Will Feldkamp on Saturday.
But Friday’s 1-vs.-2 matchup is the main event in the first-ever meeting between Keckeisen and Plott.
Keckeisen has never finished worse than third at the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds, and while Plott is a two-time All-American, this is his first season in the weight class after three years at 174.
Plott is 17-1 overall and 9-1 against ranked opponents after making the move up, but it hasn’t always been an easy transition.
“I had a couple questions about size and strength, how I was gonna feel at the weight,” Plott said. “I hadn’t wrestled this heavy since high school, but I’ve felt good. Opponents haven’t felt too big or too strong.”
Even with his early success, Plott proved something to himself last Sunday, pushing through the challenges he faced.
“I was sick most of the week, then came back and was really super-excited for this match,” Plott said. “Coming off illness, a little bit of adversity, I really liked that component, too. I knew if I could get through this today, I could find a way under a lot of different conditions.
“That added adversity really got me a little more excited, because I knew I could get a little more out of myself.”
The Keckeisen match could be a preview of the Big 12 Championships, and maybe even the NCAAs, but as Plott works to find his way at 184, win or lose, it’ll be a meaningful experience.
OSU coach John Smith likes the trajectory of Plott’s season as he heads into a difficult stretch.
“I like that he’s growing and he’s trusting himself,” Smith said, “and believes in what he can do.”
OSU vs. Northern Iowa
IF YOU GO: 7 p.m. Friday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater (ESPN+)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State's Dustin Plott to face Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen
