Live On Flo This Week: 1/20 WVU at Oklahoma State | 1/20-21 Flo Tulsa Nationals | 1/22 Who's Number 1 Duals, South Dakota State at Oklahoma State, Eastern Michigan at Northern Iowa

Defending Big 12 champion Preston Weigel will face two of the best 197-pound wrestlers in the country when Oklahoma State hosts its second and third conference duals of the season this weekend.

On Friday evening, the Cowboys square off with West Virginia, which will pit the fourth-ranked Weigel against the Mountaineer's sixth-ranked Jake Smith. On Sunday afternoon, South Dakota State and No. 9 Nathan Rotert make their way to Stillwater, OK.

Weigel ​was once a Tulsa Nationals champ, make sure to watch live this weekend!


A redshirt sophomore, Weigel enters this weekend 13-2 overall, including 1-0 in Big 12 duals. Excluding matches against teammates and non-Division I opponents, he is 9-2 with his only two losses coming against Minnesota's second-ranked Brett Pfarr. Weigel has been very stingy so far this season, with six shutouts in those previously mentioned 11 matches.

That defensive prowess will come in handy against Smith and Rotert. Weigel and Smith are very familiar, having wrestled four times during the course of the 2015-16 season. Smith won the first three, but Weigel ended Smith's season at NCAAs with a 4-0 decision in the consolation bracket. A Kansas native, Weigel was a five seed in the Big 12 tournament and won his only match of the year against Rotert 4-3 in the conference finals.

Weigel vs. Cash Wilcke from Sunday's OSU-Iowa dual


Like most of the best schools, Oklahoma State not only signs the best talent but develops lesser-known wrestlers as well. Back in 2014, the Pokes were rated to have the fourth-best recruiting class. Here's what our own Willie Saylor had to say at the time: 

I had them about even with Cornell, but Weigel gives them an edge, in my opinion. I think he's highly undervalued and that he'll provide valuable service time.

To be able to win both of these matches, Weigel will have to keep attacking from neutral and end the match from the top position. Both Cornell 197s he wrestled were able to ride him effectively, though Weigel has picked up riding time in most of his victories. He does more than just ride though, having one of the better cross wrist tilts at this weight.

Against Smith on Friday night, Weigel will need to continuously clear ties to get points on his feet. Smith perpetually slows people down with a front head and arm and then uses a lefty underhook to set up a swing high crotch. The West Virginia junior was able to take Weigel down several times last season, so the Cowboy will want to jump out to a lead and then win the mat battle. Smith is a grinder who could have trouble in a come-from-behind situation.



There is less familiarity for Weigel against Rotert. The redshirt junior has qualified for NCAAs twice at SDSU and has just three losses on the year. Their Big 12 finals match came down to riding time, as each picked up an escape and a takedown. Rotert scored first, but Weigel held on for longer on top. Pfarr and Iowa's Cash Wilcke are the only common opponents this season. Weigel lost to Pfarr 7-2 both times, while Rotert lost 7-0 to the Gophers senior. Against Wilcke, Rotert scored more en route to a 9-5 win, but Weigel shut out the Hawkeyes redshirt freshman 6-0.

A sweep of his Big 12 rivals this weekend would cement Weigel's place in the top five and make OSU fans feel very comfortable about his odds of being an All-American. After making the NCAA round of 12 last March, Weigel fell just short of the podium, entering unseeded despite winning the conference due to his 16-10 record. Aside from a potential top 10 matchup at 133 pounds between Oklahoma State's Kaid Brock and SDSU's Seth Gross, 197 should be the marquee bout in both duals.

Oklahoma State head coach John Smith will be hoping his athlete relies on more than just home mat advantage for these bouts. Expect two grinding, low-scoring matches as these big men jockey for pole position in the race for a top seed at the conference championships.

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