COWBOYS

NCAA wrestling championships finals recap: OSU's Wyatt Hendrickson, Dean Hamiti win titles

The Oklahoman

PHILADELPHIA — Coach David Taylor and the third-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team are fighting for position on the final day of the NCAA Championships, which begin at 10 a.m. CT Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.

Here's what you need to know about the OSU and OU wrestling teams at the NCAA wrestling championships on Saturday:

NCAA wrestling championships live updates on Cowboys, Sooners at Wells Fargo Center

Who won individual NCAA wrestling championships?

Here are the results of the individual finals matches at the NCAA Championships:

125: No. 4 Vincent Robinson, North Carolina State, dec. No. 7 Troy Spratley, Oklahoma State, 2-1, TB-1
133: No. 1 Lucas Byrd, Illinois, dec. No. 2 Drake Ayala, Iowa, 3-2, TB-2
141: No. 3 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, dec. No. 1 Brock Hardy, Nebraska, 12-9
149: No. 2 Ridge Lovett, Nebraska, dec. No. 1 Caleb Henson, Virginia Tech, 1-0
157: No. 3 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska, dec. No. 8 Joey Blaze, Purdue, 4-2
165: No. 1 Mitchell Messenbrink, Penn State, dec. No. 3 Mikey Caliendo, Iowa, 8-2
174: No. 3 Dean Hamiti, Oklahoma State, dec. No. 1 Keegan O’Toole, Missouri, 4-1, SV
184: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State, dec No. 2 Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa, 4-3
197: No. 2 Stephen Buchanan, Iowa, dec. No. 4 Josh Barr, Penn State, 5-2
HWT: No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson, Oklahoma State, dec. No. 1 Gable Steveson, Minnesota, 5-4

Team results at NCAA Championships

Here’s the top 10 in the team standings at the NCAA Championships

1. Penn State, 177
2. Nebraska, 117
3. Oklahoma State, 102.5
4. Iowa, 81
5. Minnesota, 51.5
(tie) Ohio State, 51.5
7. Cornell, 50
8. North Carolina State, 46.5
9. Northern Iowa, 45.5
10. Illinois, 44.5

Wyatt Hendrickson upsets Gable Steveson for heavyweight title at NCAA wrestling finals

Oklahoma State wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson upset Olympic champion Gable Steveson for a 5-4 win in the NCAA heavyweight finals Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center.

The former Air Force wrestler then greeted family, as well as President Trump and Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin.

“He’s a great leader,” OSU coach David Taylor recently said. "He’s got a great personality. From the very first day he stepped in the room, he’s been a guy people gravitated toward.

“He’s been a guy that’s dominated, and maybe was missing a little something at the national tournament and hoping we could help him in that area.”

Steveson, a graduate student at Minnesota, won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 and was a two-time NCAA champion.

Dean Hamiti upsets Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole for national championship

Deadlocked at the end of regulation against the only man to beat him this season, Oklahoma State wrestler Dean Hamiti Jr. looked toward his father in the crowd of Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday night at the NCAA Championships.

The emotion he saw on his father’s face brought the boost of energy Hamiti needed for the winning takedown of Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole in sudden-victory overtime of the 174-pound title match, making Hamiti the 144th individual national champion in OSU wrestling history.

The previously unbeaten O’Toole had defeated Hamiti in the Big 12 finals two weeks ago, also in sudden-victory overtime.

“When the overtime started, I looked up, I saw my dad looking right at me,” Hamiti said. “It gives you a little breath of fresh air.

“The reason I went to Oklahoma State is I know they like to win championships and they’re a very historic program. I’m honored to be a part of it.”

— Scott Wright, Staff writer

Troy Spratley’s season ends as runner-up

Oklahoma State sophomore Troy Spratley ended an impressive run to the finals of the NCAA Championships as the 125-pound national runner-up.

Spratley came out on the wrong end of an intense, if not high-scoring, battle that was won by North Carolina State freshman Vincent Robinson, 2-1 in tiebreaker overtime.

Neither wrestler could muster any offense, each scoring an escape during regulation. After a scoreless sudden-victory overtime period, Robinson escaped early in the first tiebreaker.

Spratley opted for a neutral start in the second tiebreaker, but could not finish a takedown.

Spratley was one of the highest seeds to reach the finals in any weight and he concludes his season at 24-5 as the NCAA and Big 12 runner-up.

— Scott Wright, Staff writer

Who is wrestling in the finals of the NCAA Championships?

Here’s a look at the matchups for the final round of the NCAA Championships:

125: No. 4 Vincent Robinson, North Carolina State, vs. No. 7 Troy Spratley, Oklahoma State
133: No. 1 Lucas Byrd, Illinois, vs. No. 2 Drake Ayala, Iowa
141: No. 1 Brock Hardy, Nebraska, vs. No. 3 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
149: No. 1 Caleb Henson, Virginia Tech, vs. No. 2 Ridge Lovett, Nebraska
157: No. 8 Joey Blaze, Purdue, vs. No. 3 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska
165: No. 1 Mitchell Messenbrink, Penn State, vs. No. 3 Mikey Caliendo, Iowa
174: No. 1 Keegan O’Toole, Missouri, vs. No. 3 Dean Hamiti Jr., Oklahoma State
184: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State, vs. No. 2 Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa
197: No. 4 Josh Barr, Penn State, vs. No. 2 Stephen Buchanan, Iowa
HWT: No. 1 Gable Steveson, Minnesota, vs. No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson, Oklahoma State

NCAA Championships team standings entering finals

Top 10 in team standings entering championship matches

1. Penn State 160.0
2. Nebraska 109.0
3. Oklahoma State 94.5
4. Iowa 77.0
5. Minnesota 51.5
6. Cornell, 50.0
7. Ohio State 47.5
8. Northern Iowa 45.5
9. North Carolina State 42.5
10. Virginia Tech 41.0

184 pounds: OSU’s Dustin Plott finishes fourth

For the fourth time in his career, OSU’s Dustin has finished sixth or better at the NCAA Championships.

Concluding an illustrious career in which he compiled a 114-29 record as a Cowboy, Plott took fourth after a 6-5 loss to Max McEnelly of Minnesota in the consolation finals.

“Not what I wanted,” Plott said. “As a team, not what we wanted. For the most part though, a lot of us competed the best we have all year. A lot of us did a lot of great things. Only maybe a couple guys with a little bit of regrets, myself included. But very honored to wrestle for Oklahoma State and really grateful that God blessed me with wrestling.”

The Cowboys ended the medal matches — the fifth of six total sessions — still in third place with 94.5 points. Penn State stands atop the standings as expected, with 169 points, and Nebraska is second at 109. In fourth, Iowa trails the Cowboys with 77 points.

For Plott, after being a key member of the team throughout his career — first under legendary coach John Smith and now David Taylor — he is proud to see the trajectory of OSU wrestling as he leaves the mat for the final time.

With three wrestlers in Saturday night’s championship round, the Cowboys look locked into third place, their best finish in four years.

“That’s one thing Coach Smith always emphasized, is to leave it better than you found it,” Plott said. “That’s what builds legacies and maintains them. Last year, and then this year even more so, we’re going in the right direction. I have no doubt in the next couple years, the national title will be back at Oklahoma State. Probably next year.

“With the direction the culture’s going, the leadership we have, guys on the team, the regional training center — it takes a village and we truly have a great one at Oklahoma State.”

— Scott Wright, Staff writer

Heavyweight: Michigan’s Josh Heindselman takes 7th

Piedmont native Josh Heindselman of Michigan picked up a pair of third-period penalty points on stalling calls to win a 2-1 decision over Ben Kueter of Iowa in the seventh-place heavyweight match.

Heindselman was a four-time NCAA qualifier during his time at OU, but transferred last summer and became an All-American for the first time at Michigan this week.

— Scott Wright, Staff writer

157 pounds: OSU’s Caleb Fish finishes 8th

Little Rock’s Matty Bianchi dodged the attacks of OSU’s Caleb Fish to hold on for a 4-2 decision in the seventh-place match at 157 pounds.

Fish had some valuable wins as the No. 12 seed for the Cowboys, including an upset of fifth-seeded Brandon Cannon of Ohio State that put Fish in the quarterfinals.

Fish earned All-America honors for the first time in his career.

— Scott Wright, Staff writer

165 pounds: Missouri’s Cam Steed defeats OSU’s Cam Amine for 7th

Collinsville native Cam Steed of Missouri took seventh place at 165 pounds with a first-period pin of OSU’s Cameron Amine.

A redshirt sophomore who won four high school state titles while at Collinsville, Steed is an All-American for the first time.

Amine finishes his career as a four-time All-American, earning the first three at Michigan before joining the Cowboys this season.

— Scott Wright, Staff writer

184-pound consolation: Dustin Plott advances to 3rd place match

A second-period reversal was all OSU’s Dustin Plott needed to advance in the consolation semifinals.

Plott fought off late shots from Cornell’s Chris Foca for a 2-1 decision. The first of three Cowboys in action during the consolation and placement matches Saturday, Plott will wrestle for third place later in the morning session.

— Scott Wright, Staff writer

Former Cowboy Daniel Cormier with high praise for David Taylor

OSU coach David Taylor was about three minutes into his interview following Friday’s semifinal action at the NCAA Championships when he got a welcomed interruption.

Daniel Cormier, a former Cowboy All-American and UFC heavyweight champion serving as a color commentator for ESPN’s broadcast of the event this weekend, stepped in while Taylor was mid-answer.

“Three in the finals Coach? Hey, we back,” Cormier said, slapping Taylor’s chest before turning toward the media. “Let me tell you something. This man right here, he’s bringing us back. We gonna get a title. We gonna get ‘em.”

— Scott Wright, Staff writer

President Donald Trump expected to attend NCAA Championships

Like he did in Tulsa two years ago, President Donald Trump is planning to attend the finals of the NCAA wrestling championships at the Wells Fargo Center.

Conservative talk-radio host Clay Travis broke the news on his X account that he would be traveling with Trump on Air Force One to attend the event.

While campaigning for president in March 2023, Trump attended the finals of the NCAA Championships when the event was hosted at the BOK Center in Tulsa. He sat on the front row and posed for photos with the national champions after each match.

Penn State is the heavy favorite to win its fourth-straight NCAA championship this week. Current and former Penn State wrestlers previously joined Trump on stage during an October 2024 presidential campaign rally in State College, Pennsylvania.

What sporting events has Donald Trump attended?

This weekend's foray into college wrestling is just the latest major sporting event Trump has chosen to attend since being elected for his second term. Trump previously appeared at the Army-Navy college football game, the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500.

NCAA wrestling championships team standings after Friday's semifinals

Penn State - 135.5 points
Nebraska - 101.5
Oklahoma State - 91.0
Iowa - 73.5
Minnesota - 47.0
Cornell - 46.0
Northern Iowa - 44.5
Ohio State - 44.0
Illinois - 40.5
Virginia Tech - 40.0

What time do the NCAA wrestling championships start today?

Here's a look at the start times, TV channels and round schedule for the final day of the NCAA Championships:

Saturday, March 22

Session 5: Consolation Semifinals, Placement Matches, 10 a.m. on ESPNU
Session 6: Championship Matches, 6 p.m. on ESPN

The Oklahoma State wrestling team has nine competitors at the NCAA Championships and OU wrestling has five.

What channel are the NCAA wrestling championships on today?

Session 5 broadcast: ESPNU (here's how to stream it live)
Session 6 broadcast: ESPN

Saturday's early session of the NCAA Championships will be on ESPNU. The championship session will be on ESPN.

Oklahoma State wrestling highlights at NCAA Championships

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