Team USA is sending a squad of experienced wrestlers to Poland to compete in the Ziolkowski, Pytlasinski & Poland Opens later this week. Notably, that collection of athletes includes Daton Fix, who is slated to wrestle in the 57 kg weight class at the Ziolkowski (the men's freestyle component of that event). 

Fix, a four-time Big 12 champ and three-time NCAA runner-up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, recently made the men's freestyle national team at 61 kg (134.2 lbs) by winning his true-third bout over Austin DeSanto at Final X. 

Watch Fix's match over DeSanto from June 12 in Newark, NJ: 

While this could portend a move to 125 lbs for Fix in the upcoming NCAA season, we should also note that Daton has wrestled his entire varsity career in Stillwater at 133 lbs. Fix has also most recently competed internationally at 61 kg, including at the 2021 World Championships in Oslo where he captured a silver medal. Additionally, the Ziolkowski will have a two-kilogram allowance, meaning Fix will only need to make 129.8 pounds in Poland. 

However, a move by Daton down to 57 kg is not without precedent, as Fix has wrestled 57 kg (125.4 lbs) as recently as the Tokyo Olympic Team Trials in April of 2021. Fix has also wrestled at 125 lbs while redshirting during his first at Oklahoma State back in the 2017-18 season. 

While it's all speculation at this point, the theory goes that since 2024 is an Olympic year, and 61 kg is not an Olympic weight, Fix might again move down to 57 kg rather than moving up to 65 kg. And the process to make the men's freestyle Olympic team will begin with USA Wrestling's Senior Nationals tournament in December of 2023. Thus, since Fix will be keeping his weight close to 57 kg during his final season of college, he might also compete at 125 lbs for the Cowboys. 

However, Another wrinkle is that Fix could theoretically take an Olympic redshirt as he did for the 2019-20 season, mooting the entire discussion of what collegiate weight Fix would go. That conversation could be postponed a year, as Fix would then still be eligible to wrestle for Oklahoma State during the 2024-25 NCAA season.

Though if Fix competes for Oklahoma State this season and moves down to 125, he would likely push Trevor Mastrogiovanni or Reece Witcraft up to 133. Both Mastrogiovanni and Witcraft are national qualifiers at 125. Additionally, Witcraft qualified for the 2020 NCAAs at 133. Troy Sprately, who joined the team over the summer, would also be in the mix at either 125 or 133.

UPDATE

USA Wrestling now lists Daton Fix as being registered to compete in Poland at 61 kilograms. But that's fine. This blog was premised on offseason speculation so that's all fine. 

This was not the first time, nor will it be the last, that we've written a speculative article based on tournament registration info that was later changed or updated. All good, though, and best of luck to Daton and everyone competing in Poland!