KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The angst in John Smith’s voice was apparent. Yet, his commentary didn’t show it.
Despite a lackluster showing from his team during Day 1 of the NCAA Wrestling Championships, the Oklahoma State coach was optimistic after the day’s final session ended on Thursday evening at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
“It’s kind of nothing unexpected,” he said. “I thought we (lost) a couple more than what we wanted. But the tournament is still tomorrow.”
Such optimism came as a surprise. Three OSU wrestlers – 141-pounder Tagen Jamison, 174-pounder Brayden Thompson and 197-pounder Luke Surber − are eliminated after the tournament’s first day.