"The Best To Never?"; "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride" - Fans react to Daton Fix's 4th runner-up finish at NCAA Wrestling Championships

Oklahoma State wrestler Daton Fix lost the national championship for the fifth and final time to Cornell's Vito Arujau at the NCAA Championships on Saturday.

The Cowboy recorded his fourth career finish as NCAA finalist and walked away as the runner-up in the133-pound bracket.

Fix expressed disappointment at his loss, telling media that he gave it his all but came up short again. The freestyle wrestler said:

"I can say I left it all out there. I wrestled hard. I just didn't do enough to win. Same old story." (via The Oklahoman)

On the occasion of Fix's loss, fans and contemporaries took to social media to shower praise on the wrestler. Jordan Burroughs, an American professional wrestler, believed the Cowboy wrestler should be given love and respect. He wrote on X:

"Can we show some love to Daton Fix, 4x NCAA runner-up, 5x NCAA All-American, 5x conference champion and all-around good kid."

Another fan reacted to Fix's consecutive finals losses, writing:

"Daton Fix: always a bridesmaid, never a bride"

One fan was quite critical of the wrestler, writing:

"He sits back and does nothing every match hoping he will win on a technicality or locked hands call. All his matches have lengthy reviews"

Here's how other fans reacted:

John Smith is all praises for Daton Fix after losing NCAA Wrestling Championships 2024

Daton Fix during the 2024 Division I Men's NCAA Wrestling Championship.

Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith applauded Fix after the senior wrestler's loss to Vito Arujau 5-3. The Cowboy had a 2-1 lead at the end of the second period and was tied at 2-2 when just over a minute was left before Cornell's Arujau jumped into the lead with 5-3.

Smith told Oklahoma State that Fix was one of their all-time bests. He said:

"Not only was he highly competitive in college, but he's a World Championship silver medalist at the senior level. He's done a lot of things that will motivate others. He's meant a lot to us."

After the championship, Fix told reporters that he loved Oklahoma State and added that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. He said:

"It's been a dream come true to put on the orange singlet. I'm just very thankful for everything that they've done for me and I hope I've made them proud." (via Newson6)

It should be noted that Fix's career winning percentage of 9.46 is ranked amongst the top 15 to ever don the orange singlet. Moreover, he is the only 5-time Big 12 champion in history, as well as the first and only 5-time conference champion in the school's history.