Ohio State then-junior Tate Orndorff ties up his opponent during the Ohio State-Rutgers match on Jan. 24. Ohio State won 19-14. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Tate Orndorff kicked off the new wrestling season Sunday with a 2-0 decision victory over North Carolina’s Brandon Whitman. While the new season is just beginning, Orndorff hasn’t stopped training since he arrived in Columbus.
The redshirt senior, ranked No. 7 at the heavyweight position, joined a line of Buckeye elites as he traded in his gray gear and received the prestigious black shirt.
The tradition, which started in 2019, bestows the “black shirt” to individuals who are deserving of elite distinction, earning them the privilege of wearing the shirt at practice, as opposed to the gray shirts given at the start of the season.
A wrestler is given their black shirt when there’s unanimous approval from the coaching staff and all current black shirt holders.
“It’s a super high honor in the wrestling program,” Orndorff said. “To have the coaches recognize me is very special.”
Head coach Tom Ryan said it was the right time to give Orndorff the black shirt.
“He’s completely committed and coachable,” Ryan said. “He takes initiative and control of every situation.”
While he could have been awarded the shirt at the end of last season, the coaching staff wanted a complete offseason out of Orndorff to see if he kept working.
“He was an All-American and competed in championships last year and we could’ve given it to him then, but we wanted to see what his summer looked like,” Ryan said. “He lost body fat and increased his muscle cardiovascular system. He did everything he needed to do to jump to the next level.”
Associate head coach J Jaggers agreed that it was the summer that cemented Orndorff’s spot as a black shirt.
“He followed up the momentum of last season’s All-American campaign by having a tremendous spring and summer,” Jaggers said. “He’s leaner, stronger and wrestling with much more conviction in practice.”
At the NCAA tournament last season, Orndorff started as the No. 21 seed in the tournament, but finished seventh in the NCAA championship by winning three-straight consolation rounds.
“He loves to wrestle. A few matches didn’t go his way and a lot of guys at that point would want to be done, but not Tate,” Ryan said. “Winning three straight says a lot about his dedication and resilience.”
Orndorff credited the conference for preparing him for these tough matches.
“In the Big Ten, you’re constantly facing top-10 opponents each week in your division, and that type of competition prepares us for when the NCAA tournament begins,” Orndorff said. “I knew being seeded 21 didn’t mean much to me.”
While Orndorff may have gained the first black shirt of the season for the Buckeyes, it wasn’t the smoothest path for the redshirt senior.
The 2020-21 season was Orndorff’s first in a Buckeye uniform. Prior to Ohio State, he attended and competed for Utah Valley University for two years.
During his time there, Orndorff posted a 44-13 record, along with being a two-time NCAA qualifier in both seasons. He was also named an NWCA All-American in his second season with the team.
“I knew it would be tough coming here with the intense competition from my teammates and the Big Ten,” Orndorff said. “I was excited to be surrounded by a place that was going to make me better.”
While the excitement was there, making the transfer during the pandemic wasn’t easy for Orndorff. He said the hardest part of the process was being unfamiliar with teammates.
“I hardly knew my teammates when I first transferred here,” Orndorff said. “With different regulations and restrictions, we would have practice, but then have to go through protocols.”
Along with Orndorff was his wife Brinley, who he met at Utah Valley.
“I moved all the way across the country with just my wife,” Orndorff said. “We had each other, but still didn’t know a lot of people.”
Orndorff said he and his teammates grew closer as the season became more difficult.
“We finally got more acquainted as we went through very tough practices and going through the grind together,” Orndorff said. “The COVID season was hard, but making it difficult for all of us made us bond together.”
Orndorff was part of the group Sunday to give Ohio State a 17-0 lead going into the intermission, something never in doubt from the coaching staff.
“We wanted more points from him, but when six minutes go by on the clock and you’re leading, you have to contain your opponent,” Ryan said. “Tate was a veteran and knew how to handle his opponent for the remaining time.”
With one win under his belt, Orndorff looks to continue his success with his teammates.
“I want this season to be a special one for my teammates and I,” he said. “We all want to win and make it far come tournament time in March.”
