COLUMBUS - Making the best of a bad situation and flipping the script is an admirable talent in any discipline, let alone sports.
By the quirks of the coronavirus pandemic and the leniency of the NCAA through their transfer portal rules, former Sycamore wrestler and Ohio State fan-favorite "Gas Tank Gary" Traub will flip more opponents, just not in Columbus.
With NCAA athletes being granted an extra year due to COVID-19 and coming off a limited season due to injury and illness, heavyweight Traub will pack his lunch bucket and work ethic and head 2,278 miles away for Corvallis, Oregon, home of the Oregon State Beavers.
When reached about his new opportunity out west, Traub was fishing for bluegill in Blue Ash. Corvallis has bigger ponds and bigger fish and Traub is happy he took the bait to visit and receive their offer.
"That's one of the things I'm pumped about!" Traub said of the outdoor life of the Pacific Northwest. "They're all into outdoor stuff and that was a big appeal, seeing all of the mountain trails."
A former walk-on at Ohio State who bumped, bruised and brawled his way to a percentage of scholarship money from the Buckeyes, now has a full ride from the Beavers, including a monthly stipend, tuition for a post-graduate degree and other opportunities.
This comes after a battle with COVID that shortened his winter season, one that also saw Ohio State bring in a transfer heavyweight of their own, Tate Orndorff from Utah Valley. Traub entered the portal March 22 and soon had many schools making inquiries. Orndorff and Traub get along and ironically Orndorff had an uncle that attended Oregon State.
Traub was a 2016-17 redshirt at Ohio State, then wrestled the next three seasons. NCAA winter-sport seniors were granted extra eligibility, so he will be a "super senior" in 2021-22 for Oregon State.
A little over a year ago, Traub had a following at the Covelli Center at Ohio State where 3,700 (pre-COVID) would pack in at the corner of Ackerman and Fred Taylor Drive to watch the undersized heavyweight (about 6-foot, 225 pounds in peak condition) take down some of the NCAA's top heavyweight wrestlers. Many were bigger, many matches came down to the final seconds.
"I would be a little panicked like, 'I've got 30 seconds left, I have to score!'" Traub said. More often than not, he did and the Covelli Center would erupt.
Someone on Twitter pecked out "Gas Tank Gary" on their phone and a Buckeye legend was born.
Soon there were "Gas Tank Gary" t-shirts and frenzied fans chanting, "Gary, Gary, Gary!". In mid-January 2020, he was put on a partial scholarship for his efforts, which included wrestling, class and bagging groceries 18 hours per week for some extra coin. The 20% scholarship allowed him to stop sacking canned goods.
Unfortunately, after a 23-9 season where he qualified as the No. 19 heavyweight for the NCAA tournament (No. 6 of of the Big Ten), the pandemic ended all 2020 winter tournaments and many spring seasons.
"That was gut-wrenching," Traub said.
Now, thanks to his reputation and some pretty good public relations in his favor from Flo Wrestling, a site that covers the sport at all levels, Traub can get his schooling paid for and has opportunities beyond the mat.
"Flo Wrestling got behind him after he got in the portal," father John Traub said. "It was like, who's going to get 'Gas Tank Gary'? He had Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and all those schools calling him but Oregon State offered him a fantastic opportunity. He saw some fishing holes and the water was so clear, he loves it!"
John Traub is a Sycamore assistant wrestling coach under Jeremy Pletz. The Aviators had traveled to Columbus previously to watch Gary but now are pleased their program will be recognized in the Pac-12.
Gary Traub is likely to follow in his father's footsteps in coaching once his Oregon State adventure runs its course.
"I'm going to get a certificate and add to my degree a little bit," Traub said. "They have some opportunities for wrestling afterward, which is pretty cool."
He leaves in mid-June for what will be his second visit to the state of Oregon. Many of the Oregon State opponents are located in other areas that Traub hasn't yet experienced.
The Beavers were second in the Pac-12 a year ago, and ideally, Traub hopes the west coast will be introduced to "Gas Tank Gary" as a Pac-12 champion. They even flirted with trying to get Ohio State on the schedule.
"Heck yeah, get' em out there!" Traub said. "I want to get back to the lineup and help Oregon State win a Pac-12 title. Hopefully, it's a full season and we get back to a regular set of circumstances."
While most of the 2020-2021 season didn't work out in his favor, Traub again found a way to a positive outcome in the end.
Note to Oregon State: never leave a Beaver wrestling match early while "Gas Tank Gary" still has time on the clock.
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