Pictured: Oklahoma State's Daton Fix (133) pumping up the Gallagher-Iba crowd after a win in front of his home fans. Picture courtesy of Oklahoma State Athletics.
It’s been almost a decade since Oklahoma State 133-pounder Daton Fix was an underdog of any sort, and he still seems salty about that last time – in 2013.
On Wednesday, Fix (21-0) was announced as the second seed of the 133-pound bracket at the NCAA Championships next week in Detroit. Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young received the top seed with a 17-0 record.
Fix had entered both the 2019 and 2021 NCAA Championships with the top seed before losing in the finals. Bravo-Young beat Fix in sudden-victory in last year’s 133-pound final, and Nick Suriano, then of Rutgers, beat Fix in the 133-pound final in 2019, also in sudden-victory, 4-2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_L2tzkqtNU&t=12s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhUZugWgmH0
Despite a 21-0 record this season, Fix was not surprised by the announcement of being the No. 2 seed. It’s exactly what he predicted on Sunday moments after winning his third Big 12 title.
“The only thing that might be a little different is I get to play a new role,” Fix said Sunday at the Big 12s in Tulsa. “I’m not gonna go in as the No. 1 seed, more than likely. That means I get to be the underdog. That’s something that I haven’t gotten to do in a long time, so it’s exciting.”
Fix mentioned being an underdog was a different position for him. He was 168-0 with four state titles at Charles Page High School in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He also has won numerous age-level World medals in freestyle with USA Wrestling too. With those accolades, was Fix ever an underdog before in his career?
“I can remember my freshman year [at Charles Page] at the regional tournament. I was seeded fourth,” Fix said. “I didn’t think I deserved to be seeded fourth. I ended up going and winning that one, so I plan to do the same thing in two weeks.”
Still, Fix seems perturbed over that No. 4 seeding, even after 74 college wins (in 77 total matches), two NCAA tournament finals appearances, and three Big 12 titles .
Now that same underdog feeling has returned. So, for the first time as an OSU Cowboy, the college wrestling world could witness Fix competing with an extra chip on his shoulder in Detroit.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I haven’t been thinking about March and winning that national title,” Fix said. “It’s escaped me twice before. I don’t plan on letting it happen again.”
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