Jun. 23—Oklahoma State wrestling has traditionally been a destination for youth wrestlers looking to spend part of their summer training under the watchful eye of the one of the top NCAA Division I wrestling programs in the country.
Last year, however, that was derailed due to the pandemic that prevented college athletics programs from hosting youth camps.
And the notice for camps to return to campus this summer came late in the school year, leaving the Cowboys to scramble on a new approach to the camp that typically run about two weeks and features both a team camp and a technical camp — that has typically been open to elementary-aged wrestlers, as well.
“I wish we would have had more kids, but we also get a little more one-on-one time with these kids here at this camp this year,” said Oklahoma State redshirt junior Anthony Montalvo, who is one of the Cowboy wrestlers serving as a camp counselor. “So, that part has been nice.”
With roughly 150 campers arriving in Stillwater this week, they combined the two traditional camps where teams get a chance for technical training, while also squaring off against one another in a dual format.
“This year, we’re doing technique in the morning, afternoon we’re going wrestling and then wrestling at night — unless it’s not going the way we like it, and we will do another hour of technique at night,” Montalvo said. “So, it’s been more of a split of half live, half technique.”
Despite the late notice of having a wrestling camp this summer, the teams still clamored to work with the Cowboy wrestling program.
One of the top Class 4A programs in Kansas made the trip to Stillwater. The Chanute wrestling program — located in the southeast corner of Kansas — was the state’s runner-up this past season after winning the crown in 2020.
There is also a program from El Paso, Texas, several from throughout Oklahoma and a pair of programs that traveled from the bayous of Louisiana — from opposite ends of the coastal area of the state.
Archbishop Rummel High School, located in Metairie, Louisiana — a suburb of New Orleans — made the trek from the east half of the state, while Saint Louis Catholic traveled from Lake Charles, Louisiana, on the western half.
But Saint Louis Catholic had one of its alumni also serving as a camp counselor. OSU freshman Alexander Yokubaitis, who wrestles at 125 pounds and redshirted this past year, is a recent graduate of the Lake Charles program.
“It’s really good to see those teams come from a long distance and kind of get back to normal, because they were talking about they had a hurricane (Tropical Storm Claudette) down there and they’ve got tin thrown everywhere, roofs ripped off,” Oklahoma State redshirt junior Jalin Harper said. “So, they said they drove up here and it’s good to see normal again. … And then one of our teammates is from one of the Louisiana teams, as well. So, it’s cool that they get to come up here and see him.”
Most of the recent freshman class was helping work the camp, which was a bit of a new experience for them.
Traditionally, the incoming class would get to work with campers in their first summer on campus, but last year’s departure from the norm meant this was the first experience helping run a camp for many of them. And Tuesday, several of them were tasked with serving as a officials for the dual matches in the afternoon session.
“They’re doing great,” Harper said. “A couple of them were out there reffing, and I think they’re really liking it and getting the hang of it.
“I think they’re enjoying it a lot, they fit right in. A lot of those guys know what they’re talking about.”