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Daton Fix and Bear Hughes to Wrestle at the Junior World Championships

We’re on the verge of a big week for two redshirt freshmen Pokes.

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The Cowboys had two redshirt freshman, Daton Fix and Barret (Bear) Hughes make the Junior World team this summer. Both will wrestle next week at the Junior World Championships in Slovakia.

How they got here

Barret Hughes: Hughes qualified for the Greco team at 87 KG. He first won the U.S. Open alongside teammate Austin Harris. Then he won the Greco trials final over Michigan State’s Cameron Caffey locking in his world team spot.

I spoke with his teammate Austin, and this summer they both spent a lot of time out at the Olympic training center in Colorado prepping for their trials final. Austin and Bear have been working together in preparation for this and the Pan Am’s, which Austin won about a month ago. Now this is Bears turn to go see what he can do on the world stage.

Daton Fix: He dominated the Junior World Championships last year surrendering only one point in the entire tournament. He had the option to try and make the senior world team this year.

By virtue of being the defending champ, if he didn’t make the senior team he could request a wrestle-off to make the junior team. Ultimately that’s what happened. He made it all the way to “Final X” at the senior level. Then he dropped a series vs. defending World Silver Medalist Thomas Gilman and requested a wrestle-off with Junior trials winner Brandon Courtney. He beat Courtney to take the world team spot at 57 KG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUu_K7SEL38

How to follow along

Hughes will wrestle first. Greco at 87 KG starts Monday at 4:30 AM. The USA Wrestling Twitter will provide updates and Trackwrestling will provide a stream of the event. It does cost. Daton won’t wrestle until Friday starting at 4:30 a.m. central time and if he makes the final, which is expected, he’ll wrestle it Saturday at 11:00 a.m. central time

Details on the entire schedule are here on USA Wrestling’s website.

What to expect

It’s tough to know what Hughes’ prospects are here. He’s had an incredible summer, but at his first world championships, it will likely be a tall task for him to go win this. Making the team and all the training and development he’s received over the summer from it is absolutely huge for him, and even for the team as a whole going forward.

There’s a lot of talent in the OSU room, but the training with other coaches and wrestlers he’s received out of this is big. If he can go add a world medal to it that’s essentially icing on the cake for what’s already been a really good summer for him.

The expectation for Fix is to go win another title. He went toe to toe with the top senior level wrestlers this summer. He should be able to repeat as the champ here. I spoke with his dad after “Final X” when they were deciding to go after a junior team spot.

I had a bit of an overconfident tone of my expectation that Daton would go dominate again. Derek cautioned me to not look at it that way. He basically said the Junior Worlds is tough and Daton has a target on his back with all his recent success, so he’ll have to wrestle well to win. Ultimately I think he will, but just because he’s been so good at the senior level doesn’t mean this will be a cakewalk for him.

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