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Dee Lockett Battles Through 2025 U20 Worlds, Falls in Bronze Match

The Cowboy fell in a tough matchup.
Taylor Skieens|
Oklahoma State’s head coach David Taylor stands on the side of the mat during an NCAA wrestling meet between Oklahoma State and Missouri at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.
Oklahoma State’s head coach David Taylor stands on the side of the mat during an NCAA wrestling meet between Oklahoma State and Missouri at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State freshman Dee Lockett has technically just begun his journey as a Cowboy wrestler. He is fresh off of a fantastic high school career in Stillwater, where he was a four-time state champion, wrapping up his career with an overall career record of 153-3. As new faces were showing up on campus in Stillwater for their first official day of class, Lockett was in Bulgaria competing with the U-20 USA Team.

Lockett opened his campaign with a dominant 10-0 technical fall over Mongolia’s Tolui Munkhbat in the qualification round. His suffocating pace overwhelmed Munkhbat, ending the match in 90 seconds. In the round of 16, European U23 champion Ismail Khaniev (UWW) tested Lockett’s aggressive approach. Khaniev’s slick counters and defensive mastery capitalized on a mistimed shot, securing a 5-2 decision that pushed Lockett into the repechage.

In the repechage, Lockett unleashed his full arsenal on Turkmenistan's Vatan Annaorazov. He got back on track with a commanding 10-0 victory and was set to take on Manuel Wagin of Germany in his second repechage.

The match with Wagin was an all-out war. The two battled for the entire match, but it was Lockett who scored late to come away with the 8-5 win. With the victory, he moved into the Bronze medal match, where he was set to take on Kanata Yamaguchi of Japan.

Many around the wrestling community felt as though Yamaguchi was an early contender to win it all at U20. Two of the top wrestlers in the tournament faced off for Bronze in a battle of 74kg gladiators. Yamaguchi secured an early ankle lock and was able to score early and often. Lockett fell 10-0 and would have to settle for fifth place at worlds.

Despite the setback, Lockett’s summer run underscores his potential. His 11-0 freestyle record, outscoring opponents 91-14, included a 15-2 technical fall over Penn State’s Jayden James at the U20 World Team Trials. His constant training with the Cowboy RTC has Lockett honing his explosive style for Stillwater’s Gallagher-Iba Arena.

His U20 performance, though medal-less, signals a bright future for the Oklahoma State freshman. The expectations for Lockett's future have forced the young wrestler to not only wrestle the best in the nation but also wrestle the expectations of society. For a kid who has yet to wrestle a single collegiate match, Lockett will rebound just fine under the bright lights of Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Published
Taylor Skieens
TAYLOR SKIEENS

Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.

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