OSU wrestling prepares for a three-dual weekend

The Cowboy wrestling team has a busy weekend in Stillwater with three opponents coming to Gallagher-Iba Arena for duals.

Oklahoma State will begin the weekend at 7 p.m. on Friday against North Carolina State, and it will continue Sunday against Binghamton at 2 p.m. and Bucknell at 4 p.m.

Coach John Smith said although his team has faced more well-known competition, these matches should not be taken lightly.

"I think Binghamton is probably the best of the three teams," Smith said. "I don't think you can overlook them."

Binghamton caught Smith's attention when the team tied No. 4 Cornell in a dual on January 15, but Smith said he expects his team to perform well as long as it continues its aggressive style from previous matches.

"I'm looking for in our team what I saw in our last match, just a relentless attitude," Smith said. "I want us to be good and ready to score points and dominate when we can."

With two duals on Sunday, Smith is faced with a daunting task – keeping his wrestlers as fresh as possible.

"You're going to see some new faces in the lineup on Sunday," Smith said. "We'll try to use as many as we can."

The wrestlers who will compete in both duals Sunday will experience a tournament-like scenario that demands they stay loose and focused between matches.

"At the NCAA championships, we're wrestling multiple times every day," Smith said. "It's not a strenuous situation for them by any means. It's pretty easy for them to recover at this level of conditioning that they have to come back and give it a go."

Smith said whoever is starting the 4 p.m. dual will have to be warming up by the end of the first dual to be ready to go against Bucknell, but he has confidence that his wrestlers will handle the challenge well.

"They have done it their whole life," Smith said. "They know how to get ready."