Oklahoma State’s Jordan Oliver finished fourth as a freshman in the 2010 NCAA Championships. Photo by Tech-fall.com.

Jordan Oliver walked into Omaha’s Qwest Center last March with one goal in mind.

To win an NCAA title at 133 pounds.

Even though he was just a freshman, Oliver envisioned himself standing on top of the medal podium on Saturday night.

So when Oliver placed fourth at his first NCAA Championships – finishing behind two NCAA champions and an NCAA runner-up in a loaded weight class – he was anything but satisfied.

“I was disappointed. I was angry and upset,” said Oliver, who was 32-4 as a freshman. “Some people told me I should’ve been proud to finish fourth as a freshman. Fourth isn’t good enough for me. Second isn’t good enough. I was ready to get right back on the mat again when the tournament was over.”

The three wrestlers who placed ahead of him were seniors, and now Oliver is a favorite to win the title as a sophomore this season at 133.

Oliver is ranked No. 1 nationally at 133 by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine, and No. 2 behind Boise State senior Andrew Hochstrasser by Amateur Wrestling News and InterMat.

Oliver and Hochstrasser are scheduled to meet in the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic on Sunday afternoon in Fresno, Calif. They are slated to face off again in a February dual meet in Stillwater, Okla.

“I’ve never wrestled him, so the all-star dual will be fun,” Oliver said. “Hopefully, we will both get after it and put some points on the board. I am going to go out there and wrestle like there is nothing to lose. It’s good to measure yourself against a guy like that. We may see each other in the national finals.”

Oliver also is a top prospect in freestyle wrestling. He won a bronze medal at the 2009 Junior World Championships at 60 kg/132 lbs.

Oliver fell short of making the 2010 U.S. Junior World Team. He bumped up a weight class for the Junior World Team Trials and lost to Jason Chamberlain in the Challenge Tournament finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

“I took a break after the college season and decided to move up a weight class for the Junior Trials,” he said. “I was not at the weight class I should’ve been at. I plan on being back wrestling more freestyle after the college season.”

Oliver said he is caught between the freestyle weight classes of 60 and 66 kilos, and will decide which class to wrestle following the college season.

“The Olympics are my goal,” he said. “I feel like I have a chance to make the Olympic Team in 2012. I want to make the Olympic Team and win a gold medal. I feel like I’m in a great position to do that. That’s why I chose Oklahoma State. We have great coaches here who know what it takes in freestyle.”

Oliver has been on the radar of U.S. National Coach Zeke Jones for several years now.

“We tagged Jordan as a 2012 and 2016 Olympic hopeful when we saw him at the Pennsylvania state tournament his freshman year in high school,” said Jones, the head coach at Penn before coming to USA Wrestling in 2008. “He’s done all the right things to this point to put himself in position to challenge the best in the World. He’s challenged himself by wrestling for Oklahoma State, had some of the best coaching in the World in Eric Guerrero and John Smith, and he just beat some of the best Junior wrestlers in the World last year.

“Whether it’s folkstyle or freestyle, he’s been able to make the adjustment between the styles and win at a high level. Like (Wisconsin NCAA champion) Andrew Howe, Jordan needs to focus on becoming a World and Olympic champion right now. If he does, the NCAA tournament will seem easy to him.”

Oklahoma State coach John Smith has been instrumental in Oliver’s development in folkstyle and freestyle. Smith won two Olympic gold medals and four World titles in freestyle.

“Coach Smith helps you in every aspect of wrestling, whether it’s physical or mental,” Oliver said. “He is really, really good technically and helps you learn every position so you are prepared for it in a match. He teaches you so many little things that make a difference. It’s great having him in my corner.”

For now, the focus is squarely on the upcoming college season. Oliver is a member of a strong young Oklahoma State team that is ranked third nationally by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine.

“I’m really excited for this season,” Oliver said. “We come in with high expectations every year because we are Oklahoma State, but this season everybody is really motivated and willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. Everybody is just working their butts off in practice. Even when I am having a bad day, I see guys like Chris Perry and Clayton Foster working hard and it pushes me to work hard. We want to get that team title.”

Oliver was a three-time Pennsylvania state champion for Easton High School. He will have an opportunity to return to his home state for the 2011 NCAA Championships this March in Philadelphia. Oliver grew up about an hour drive away from Philadelphia.

“It’s awesome to have the tournament in Philadelphia,” Oliver said. “I’m really, really excited about it. I am going to have the hometown crowd there, with the Easton fans plus a lot of family and friends. It will be fun to wrestle back home. It will be great. We have a chance to win a team title and I have a chance to win my first individual title. I’m looking forward to it.”