With the conference and national championships just a few weeks away, Binghamton University’s men’s wrestling team was reeled in by a pair of Cowboy teams on Sunday, losing 40-6 to No. 15 Oklahoma State and 27-9 to the University of Wyoming.

The losses snapped a three-game winning streak by BU. Going in it was clear that the games would not be easy for the Bearcats (12-14), as they faced a ranked team with a 12-7 record and another opponent with an 11-3 record that had only lost to ranked opponents. According to Binghamton head coach Pat Popolizio, even the pre-game atmosphere in Oklahoma State’s gym was intimidating.

“There was a huge ceremony before the dual meet even started,” he said. “There was a huge crowd, there was big time athletics, it was a huge arena. Everything comes into play for the end of the season when we get to the national tournament. We’re not going to be caught off guard by any big, ranked program because we faced a lot of the best teams in the country.”

The afternoon in Oklahoma started out against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. It was difficult from the start for BU, as they lost their first six matches, four by decision. Junior Josh Patterson, ranked No. 8 in the 184-pound weight class, provided a brief relief from the losing, beating sophomore Cody Hill, who had moved up a weight class for the bout. That was the last bright spot of the match for the Bearcats, as they lost the last two matches by fall.

Binghamton hoped to right the ship against the Wyoming Cowboys. Again, things started out poorly for the Bearcats as they lost their first three bouts. Things began to look up, however, with wins from 149-pound redshirt freshmen Matt Kaylor, now 24-17, and Justin Lister. Now 17-12 on the year, Lister moved up to the 157-pound weight class for the bout.

However, Wyoming would end up regaining control of the match, as BU would win only one bout the rest of the way.

Of the losses, the Bearcats lost six decisions by four points or less. Junior Corey Waite, wrestling at 197 pounds, was even able to go ahead 6-1 in his match, before eventually losing, 13-11. Thus, while the Cowboys put up a strong performance, Wyoming’s head coach was not completely satisfied with his team’s play.

“In the Binghamton dual we looked good in the team score, but overall were sloppy and did not do enough in some individual situations,” Wyoming head coach Mark Branch said, according to a press release from the University of Wyoming.

Against Wyoming, Josh Patterson was once again able to secure a win, this time over No. 7 Joe LeBlanc. Patterson is now 37-4 on the year, and 23-2 in duals. His coach is confident that he will place in the upcoming tournaments, and “just needs to stay motivated and earn his wins when we hit tough competition again.”

On the whole, Popolizio felt that despite the losses the Bearcats were able to take away a significant experience from this weekend. He also feels it was important for his team to face top competition.

“We put our guys through a very, very tough, competitive schedule,” he said. “We’ve made some guys who they are, and I’m sure we’ve lost a few guys along the way … I think we are battle-tested.”

Before the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship from March 6 to 7 in Virginia and the NCAA Championship from March 19 to 21 in St. Louis, the Bearcats will have to face fellow SUNY school Buffalo at home in the final dual meet of the year. According to Popolizio, the Bearcats have never beaten the Bulls, adding greater significance to this meet.

“It’s definitely on our radar,” he said, “and I think it’s important that we start beating Buffalo on a regular basis, and I know the guys are definitely motivated for that. They know the rivalry, and I know there’s a lot of New York kids on their roster as well, so I’m sure that they understand how important it is.”

The meet begins at 4 p.m. next Sunday.