Oklahoma State’s Cowboy Invitational Debut Huge Success for Two Key Reasons

The Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling team opted to open is season with an invitational for the first time and it serves two clear purposes — and succeeded at both.

Oklahoma State’s Jax Forrest. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When Oklahoma State head wrestling coach David Taylor announced the Cowboy Invitational he had two clear purposes.

First, he wanted to build an event that would generate revenue for the program. Most of Oklahoma State’s matches are streamed or televised. The Cowboy Invitational was not. That was by design. Taylor wanted fans to come to Gallagher-Iba Arena to experience the Invitational.

Second, he wanted his wrestlers to get as much experience as possible. In dual meets the Cowboys are limited to one wrestler per weight class. In invitationals, which included four teams and multiple mats with matches simultaneously, Taylor could wrestle whomever he wanted.

The Cowboys dominated the Invitational on both counts.

Cowboy Invitational Recap

Oklahoma State’s Sergio Vega. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Invitational Allowed Taylor to use 27 different wrestlers. That's a huge boost of experience for a roster that features a ton of young talent along and wrestlers who didn’t compete much last season due to the high-end nature of Oklahoma State’s talent across the board.

As one might expect, that allowed the Cowboys to dominate the Invitational. OSU won the title at every weight class except for 197 pounds. Just as important, 16 of the 20 finalists were Oklahoma State wrestlers. That means that each wrestler received several matches worth of experience at a time when they really needed it.

Success was not restricted to veteran wrestlers or defending NCAA champions. Oklahoma State experienced it across the roster.

Jax Forrest, a national champion in the 133-pound class, won his first two matches with pins before winning the title with a tech fall over T.K. Davis of Gardner-Webb. Forrest was one of three OSU freshmen to win national titles last spring, a first in collegiate history.

The two other defending national champs also won. OSU’s Sergio Vega claimed the title at 149 pounds as he won all three matches on bonus points and beat Little Rock's Kyrel Leavell in a 17-4 major decision. Vega moved up a weight class after winning the 141-pound national title in March.

Landon Robideau won the national crown at 157 pounds last spring and won with tech falls in all three matches, claiming the title with a 17-2 tech fall over Gardner-Webb's Joey Giordano.

Four freshmen won in their collegiate debuts, something that might not have happened in a dual environment. Rocklin Zinkin (125 pounds), Jayden Raney (141 pounds), Michael White (184 pounds) and Dreshaun Ross (heavyweight) all won their first collegiate titles. None of them lost a match.

Two-time All-American Casey Swiderski (165 pounds), Alex Facundo (174 pounds) and national runner-up Cody Merrill (197 pounds) also won titles.

Taylor and his staff will have to start making dual meet decisions this weekend when it hosts Drexel. But, for one day, everyone wrestled — and the Cowboys dominated.