STILLWATER, Okla. —
Oklahoma State's Jordan Oliver showed why he is the top-ranked 133-pound wrestler in the nation Sunday night in the Oklahoma State regional finals of the NWCA National Duals.
Oliver posted a 7-3 decision over the No. 3 ranked 133-pound wrestler Logan Stieber of Ohio State, helping the Cowboys to a 25-6 victory over the Buckeyes to claim the regional title.
Oklahoma State will play host to three Big 10 teams – Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa – in the National Dual Finals on Sunday. The semifinals will start at 2 p.m. with the finals scheduled for 6 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Oliver, an All-American and defending 133-pound national champion, said he knew early takedowns would be the key to a victory over Stieber. He was the aggressor from the start.
Oliver scored a takedown midway through the first period. He scored a reversal and takedown in the final period to pull ahead 6-3. He picked up a riding time point to make the final score 7-3.
The Oklahoma State junior (18-1) goes into each bout with the idea of scoring as many points as possible. He has pinned 14 of the 19 foes he has faced this season. He has picked up two technical falls.
“I know Stieber has a great offense and I have a great offense. It was just going to be who wrestled their style better,” Oliver said. “He is pretty good on the mat. I wanted to take control right from the get go.”
Oklahoma State coach John Smith said there was a lot of interest in the Oliver-Stieber bout. Oliver scrambled to counter Stieber's offense and attacked when opportunities arose.
“I do think there is more in both of them probably,” he said. “It was definitely a good match to watch.”
There will be more great 133-pound bouts to watch on Sunday.
Iowa features No. 4 Tony Ramos. Illinois has No. 5 B.J. Futrell while Minnesota's Chris Dardanes is No. 7.
Oklahoma State's wrestlers are excited to be hosting the National Duals Finals on Sunday. Fans will see a lot of good wrestling from teams that haven't wrestled at Gallagher-Iba Arena in a long time, Smith said.
