Oklahoma State wrestler Teague Travis has excelled after finally getting his shot

STILLWATER — Over the past two years as he watched Teague Travis working in the Oklahoma State wrestling room, coach John Smith could sense the potential.

Travis just needed the opportunity to open up.

“Probably in the last two years has been the hardest working athlete that I have on the team,” Smith said. “You talk about somebody who does all the extras. Putting some serious hours into his conditioning.

“I basically told him, you gotta reward yourself for this effort, and you reward yourself by performing well and going out and doing what you’re capable of doing.”

Still, early in the season, the redshirt sophomore was fighting for a spot in the lineup, initially backing up Jordan Williams at 149 pounds.

It was a step up in weight for Travis, who had wrestled at 141 in previous seasons.

More: Oklahoma State wrestling: Freshman Jersey Robb's unexpected win caps upset of Iowa State

Then the Cowboys’ 157-pounder, Jalin Harper, suffered an injury, and in early December, Travis saw the opportunity he’d been waiting for.

He moved up another weight class and has gone 8-1 as the starter, including a key upset of fifth-ranked Ed Scott of North Carolina State.

The work doesn’t get any easier for Travis, who has risen to No. 17 in the Intermat rankings this week. The third-ranked Cowboys set to host No. 24 Arizona State at 7 p.m. Friday at Gallagher-Iba Arena before a Sunday trip to face No. 5 Missouri in Columbia.

That means Travis will get two shots at upsets against No. 4 Jacori Teemer of Arizona State and No. 10 Brock Mauller of Missouri.

Travis says weight hasn’t been a problem with the move up.

“I spent a lot of time in the weight room this summer and just kept getting bigger and filling out and maturing more,” he said. “I saw that the (157) spot was open, and I was like, let’s go be the guy there and do it for the team. So far, it’s worked out pretty good.”

More: Young Oklahoma State wrestling team leaning on Daton Fix's talent, guidance

Sunday will be a unique setting for Travis, whose father, Brooks Travis, wrestled for Missouri. Teague spent his first three years of high school at Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School in Columbia before the family moved to Stillwater for his senior year.

“Obviously, I’m not making it bigger than what it is,” Teague said. “But I can’t ignore that I grew up there, and my uncle and my dad both went there, wrestled there. So there’s some history there, but I gotta attack it one match at a time and worry about wrestling Arizona State first.”

Missouri was an option for Travis when he was being recruited, but he felt more comfortable in orange and black.

“I liked the style, I liked the coaches more,” he said. “I felt like I had the best opportunity here to become the wrestler I am.”

His work ethic has been an ideal fit at OSU as well, blending perfectly with his pursuit of success on the mat.

“Just keep putting your head down and knowing eventually my time’s gonna come,” he said. “Just staying ready for every opportunity. I’m not the fastest or the most athletic guy, so I’ve always had to work hard to get where I am.”

Travis’ intense work habits have always stuck out in the wrestling room, even in his first two seasons when he wasn’t in the starting lineup.

More: Oklahoma State basketball's Bryce Thompson to miss 'significant time' with shoulder injury

“He’s tough. He’s a hard worker,” said OSU super-senior 133-pounder Daton Fix. “He’s someone I worked with a lot last year, just about every day. He was at 141 and that was a pretty big cut for him. But he was really good for me, a tough competitor. He’s not gonna get tired in matches. He’s gonna fight you and do everything he can to score points.”

With the Cowboys climbing the team rankings, strong showings from lower-ranked guys like Travis remain key to the team’s overall success, especially when the postseason arrives.

But Smith warns against getting too caught up in wins and losses this time of year.

“He’s just gotta make sure,” Smith said, “as he has the success, that he stays focused not on the outcomes but his performance.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State wrestler Teague Travis excels after getting his shot