Young Oklahoma State wrestling team leaning on Daton Fix's talent, guidance
Not long after winning his 133-pound match in Oklahoma State’s dual at North Carolina State last week, Cowboy wrestler Daton Fix returned to the bench and spent the rest of the day seated next to his coaches.
A valuable veteran voice, Fix wanted the chance to offer input if his teammates needed it on their way to upsetting an NC State squad that was ranked fourth at the time.
“It felt good having him there next to me the whole match,” coach John Smith said. “There’s things he wants to get across to his teammates. It was good to see.”
For Fix, it wasn’t just about winning in the unfriendly environment of Raleigh, North Carolina. It was about sharing his knowledge, showing his excitement and lifting his teammates to what he hopes could be a strong bounceback year for Cowboy wrestling.
After the win at NC State, OSU jumped to No. 5 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association rankings. But even with that, this remains a young team.
Smith had five freshmen and a sophomore in his lineup at NC State, and though he expects to have senior Luke Surber back with the team after dealing with an injury, Smith is still penciling in several first-year starters.
The Cowboys have a two-dual East Coast trip beginning with a Friday battle at Pittsburgh and concluding with a Sunday afternoon trip to West Virginia.
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And leaning on Fix, not only for his performance as the third-ranked wrestler at 133, but for his leadership within the team, remains valuable.
Fix is in his seventh year at OSU, thanks to a pair of redshirt seasons and an extra year offered by the NCAA following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fix had a traditional redshirt season as a freshman in 2018, then took an Olympic redshirt in 2020 to prepare for his shot to make Team USA.
Now, he’s not only one of the nation’s top wrestlers in his weight class, but a respected voice in the Cowboy wrestling room.
“We’ve got a really good young team,” Fix said. “If there’s anything I can say, or if I see something, I’m obviously gonna try to help out on the bench. We have a good team and every little bit of advice can help.”
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Perhaps Fix sees the excitement in his young teammates and a refreshed feeling from the program that had fallen from its usual perch in the top 10 over the last couple years.
And Fix also got a taste of being sidelined — first by injuries, then by illness — earlier this year. He has wrestled just three matches all season, but is coming off a major decision over fifth-ranked Kai Orine of NC State.
“Knock on wood, I really haven’t had very many injuries in my career,” Fix said. “It just felt like one thing after another was hitting me. A lot of unfortunate events that happened back-to-back-to-back. Luckily I got through those.”
It made for one of the most frustrating stretches of Fix’s Cowboy career, because he couldn’t get on the mat. As is typical when a wrestler goes through an injury that limits his ability to work out, Fix gained weight.
“It wasn’t easy being off for a little bit, but I’m glad to be back,” Fix said. “Whenever you start to be away and you’re not competing, you start to miss it. It helped me get motivated to get my weight where it needs to be so I can compete my best.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State wrestling team leaning on Daton Fix's talent, guidance
