Cowboy Wrestling: No. 1 OSU Set To Host No. 8 Cornell

The top-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team returns to the mat this Friday when it hosts No. 8 Cornell at 7 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Tickets start at $10, and can be purchased at the door or at okstate.com/tickets.

Watch the Cowboys

Friday's match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Oklahoma. Fans can also stream each Cowboy wrestling home match on FloWrestling.com for a monthly or annual fee.

Live Stats and Play-by-Play

Fans can follow the action online through live results and play-by-play on www.trackwrestling.com. Simply go to the site and the link to live results and play-by-play will be prominently displayed.

Listen to the Dual Live

Fans can listen to the dual live on 93.7 KSPI-FM or okstate.com with Rex Holt and Roger Moore on the call.

About the Cowboys

Facing the challenge of replacing three starters from last season's squad, including three-time NCAA Champion Alex Dieringer and two-time All-American Austin Marsden, the 2016-17 Oklahoma State wrestling team is up to the task of chasing the program's 35th team championship.

There is reason for optimism, as the Pokes' roster boasts plenty of wrestlers that can make an impact this season. Head coach John Smith returns 2016 NCAA Champion at 141 pounds Dean Heil, along with All-Americans Nolan Boyd, Anthony Collica and Joe Smith from an NCAA Runner-Up finish at the NCAA Championships in Madison Square Garden last spring.

The Cowboys have started the 2016-17 campaign off strong, winning all four of their matches by 30 points or more, including a 39-0 shutout of Pittsburgh last week.

Along with Smith, who enters his 26th season at the helm of the Oklahoma State wrestling program, the Cowboys are led by associate head coaches Eric Guerrero and Zack Esposito, along with volunteer assistant coach Chris Perry.

In the Polls

The Cowboys enter this weekend's matchups ranked No. 1 in both the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll and the Intermat Tournament Rankings.

Individually, Oklahoma State has nine potential starters ranked in all four major national polls and 10 ranked in at least one. Returning NCAA Champion 141-pounder Dean Heil remains slotted at No. 1 in all four major polls. Aside from Heil, eight other Cowboys received top-eight rankings from Intermat, including Kaid Brock (133, No. 5), Anthony Collica (149, No. 3), Joe Smith (157, No. 3), Chandler Rogers (165, No. 8), Kyle Crutchmer (174, No. 4), Nolan Boyd (184, No. 6) and Preston Weigel (197, No. 5). At 125 pounds, Nick Piccininni is ranked No. 9 by Intermat, while heavyweight Austin Schafer comes in at No. 11.

The Series

Friday's dual will mark the sixth meeting between the Cowboys and the Big Red, with Oklahoma State taking the first five contests. The dual also marks the first match in the series that will be contested in Stillwater, as the previous matchups have taken place in Ithaca, N.Y., or various neutral sites.

The series dates back to December of 1965, in which the Pokes dropped Cornell, 26-5 in Ithaca. The Cowboys would win, 22-12 in the second match 39 years later. The teams would compete again in 2005 and 2012. Last season, Oklahoma State returned to Ithaca and was victorious yet again, winning, 32-12, over the Big Red.

Last Time Out

The top-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team continued its early-season dominance earlier this month, notching seven bonus-point wins on the way to a 39-0 shutout of No. 21 Pittsburgh at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The win marked the Cowboys' second-straight shutout of Pitt.

No. 1 Oklahoma State 38, No. 21 Pittsburgh 0: Dec. 4, 2016  |  Gallagher-Iba Arena  |  Stillwater, Okla.  |  Attendance - 1,818

125: No. 10 Nick Piccininni (OSU) MD LJ Bentley (PITT), 12-0
133: No. 6 Kaid Brock (OSU) dec. No. 8 Dom Forys (PITT), 10-3
141: No. 1 Dean Heil (OSU) MD Robert Lee (PITT), 11-3
149: No. 3 Anthony Collica (OSU) MD Mikey Racciato (PITT), 12-3
157: Jonce Blaylock (OSU) dec. Taleb Rahmani (PITT), 12-10
165: No. 4 Chandler Rogers (OSU) dec. No. 13 TeShaun Campbell (PITT), 10-6
174: No. 4 Kyle Crutchmer (OSU) MD Austin Bell (PITT), 18-5
184: No. 5 Nolan Boyd (OSU) MD Christian Dietrich (PITT), 15-3
197: No. 5 Preston Weigel (OSU) TF  Zach Bruce (PITT), 15-0
HWT: No. 12 Austin Schafer (OSU) TF John Rizzo (PITT), 21-6

Cowboys Open on Hot Streak

Through four duals, Oklahoma State has imposed its will on each of its opponents, taking each dual by 30 points or more. The Cowboys' 39-point triumph over Pittsburgh was the highest point differential in a win for OSU since last season's 41-0 drubbing of Stanford in Stillwater on Feb. 14 earlier this year.

The Pokes' four-match win streak with each victory coming by 30 points or more is the fifth such streak in school history, and the first since OSU tallied four consecutive wins by 30 or more in 1997. The streak ties for the second longest in program history behind an eight-match run in 1983 in which the Pokes won by as many as 51 points.

Handful of Cowboys Head to Reno

In addition to the dual against Cornell, several other Cowboy wrestlers will compete this weekend. The Reno Tournament of Champions event takes place on Sunday in Reno, Nev. Among those competing will be Zac Gentzler (125), Eli Hale (125), Lincoln Lemon (133), Lincoln Olson (133), Tristan Moran (141), Boo Lewallen (141), Jonce Blaylock (149), Davey Dolan (157), Dalton Moran (157), Hestin Lamons (165), Jordan Rogers (174), Derek White (197) and Tanner Allen (HWT). Junior Geo Martinez (149) and freshman Wyatt Sheets (157) will compete unattached.