STILLWATER — Daton Fix was crowned a Cowboy Challenge Tournament champion on Sunday.

Fix, a Sand Springs native, returned to the mat in an orange singlet for the first time in nearly two years and looked like he never missed a beat. He began his 2021 season with a 16-1, second-period technical fall in an extra match before collecting three falls in as many matches during tournament competition. His 4:06 fall in the second period against Cam Valdiviez (Missouri) is the fastest of his career. He followed with two third-period pins, including one in the finals match against No. 20 Ryan Sullivan of West Virginia.

“I forgot how much I loved wrestling,” Fix said in a press release. “Being back out there, there’s nothing like it. You can practice in the room as much as you want, but it’s nothing like being in front of people wrestling live competition. I’m very grateful that I’m able to be out there right now.”

Ranked No. 1 in the country at 133 pounds, Fix is a welcomed and long-awaited addition to the Cowboy lineup this season. By wrestling four matches, Fix is eligible to be an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament from the Big 12 Conference and is expected to compete for an individual national championship.

For Fix, it was his first event following a one-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency after the Sand Springs native tested positive for a prohibited substance called Ostarine.

Daton Fix becomes an undefeated, four-time state wrestling champion