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Two Key Matches When Oklahoma State Battles Iowa

Elite wrestling is on the schedule Sunday.
Taylor Skieens|
Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti Jr. gets near fall pointer on Jeremy Jakowitsch during an NCAA wrestling meet between Oklahoma State and Missouri at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.
Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti Jr. gets near fall pointer on Jeremy Jakowitsch during an NCAA wrestling meet between Oklahoma State and Missouri at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Collegiate wrestling has become somewhat of a three-horse race this season. Penn State has long been the clear-cut favorite, and that has remained the same this season. Yet, No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 3 Iowa have slowly been making up ground in an effort to level the playing field.

When the No. 2 Cowboys hit the road to Iowa to battle the No. 3 Hawkeyes, the world of college wrestling will be tuned in. The winner will be that much closer to bringing down Penn State while the loser remains the third-best team in the land. Two matches against Iowa may hold the key to victory for Oklahoma State.

174 pounds: No. 3 Dean Hamiti vs. No. 11 Patrick Kennedy OR Nelson Brands

All other matches in the dual are locked in except this one. Regardless of who takes the mat for Iowa, O-State needed Dean Hamiti to continue being flawless.

Brands and Kennedy are both fairly comparable options for the Hawks, and both will be significant underdogs against Oklahoma State's dynamic All-American Dean Hamiti. After wrestling the last three seasons down at 165 pounds for Wisconsin, Hamiti transferred to Oklahoma State, bumped up to 174 pounds and has been on a tear. He's 18-0 on the year with 77% bonus and a tech fall over All-American Lenny Wolak of Virginia Tech.

197 pounds: No. 6 Luke Surber vs. No. 1 Stephen Buchanan

The Hawkeyes are anticipating a dominating performance from Stephen Buchanan at 197 and for good reason. Buchanan is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. They need Buchanan to pad the numbers heading into heavyweight. Oklahoma State’s Luke Surber may have something to say about that.

Luke Surber, though, is a tough out. The veteran Cowboy has only improved under the direction of head coach David Taylor and currently sits at No. 6 in the country with an 18-1 record. His only loss came by way of a 4-3 decision to Virginia Tech's Andy Smith.

One positive for the Pokes is knowing that Wyatt Hendrickson is waiting at the end of the rainbow to close out the night.

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Taylor Skieens
TAYLOR SKIEENS

Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.

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