John Smith on Impact of Chandler Rogers at OSU: “He’s a Winner”

STILLWATER — John Smith said he didn’t watch Chandler Rogers and Joe Smith compete to extend their individual seasons.

In the Oklahoma State wrestling room Monday, Rogers and Joe competed against each other to see who would represent Oklahoma State and 165 pounds this weekend at the Big 12 Championships in Tulsa. Joe won, not only ending Rogers’ season but also the senior’s collegiate career.

“(Rogers is) a winner,” John Smith said. “He’s really disappointed. I think he understood the scenario existed, that it was gonna happen. Is he happy with it? Absolutely not. He’s a competitor, and I wouldn’t expect him to be.”

Joe is 14-4 this season, with his most recent outing being a loss at 174 to second-ranked Daniel Lewis. Like Rogers, Joe is a two-time All-American, both coming at 157 pounds. He was also a Big 12 Champion as a true freshman at 157. Joe redshirted last season.

“It is what it is,” Smith said. “When you look at the season as a whole, Chandler getting hurt the whole month of December and didn’t come back out until the second weekend of February. You just want to make sure they give him enough time to prepare himself to get ready. We all knew there was going to be a ranking match.

“If I go back, could I change anything? I’m not sure I could’ve. We’re Oklahoma State; we want to win dual meets, and we need to put our best team out and be competitive, and we take pride in that.”

Rogers ends his career at 94-25. He wrestled 17 matches at 165 this season, winning 14 at the weight including eight pins, and is ranked 10th in the country.

Falls are Rogers’ specialty. He has pinned 35 opponents in his first three seasons, setting team-highs each season.

Rogers ends his career as a two-time All-American finishing eighth last season and fifth as a sophomore. He also won a Big 12 Championship last season at 165.

“Chandler Rogers has been an unbelievable student athlete for our program and this university,” John Smith said. “I think he’s made a big difference with a bunch of his teammates, just not in wrestling but in life in general.”