How do OSU's Top 3 Wrestlers Stack Up Against the Nation's Top 3?
The Oklahoma State wrestling program has been the sports story of the year for Cowboy Nation. They are currently ranked second in the nation and carry an undefeated 13-0 record into the biggest match of the season on Feb. 23 when they hit the road to Iowa City to take on the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes to close out the regular season.
The Cowboys have been spectacular this season as they have rolled through the schedule. A big part of their success has rested on the shoulders of three of the Pokes' top wrestlers in 2024-25. When the duals have been close this season, these three Cowboys always manage to get the job done.
Heavyweight: Wyatt Hendrickson
Hendrickson is currently the third-ranked wrestler in the Heavyweight division behind only Gable Steveson of Minnesota and Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State. Hendrickson has the best record this season of the top three at 17-0. The division may be the toughest in all of wrestling with the top three combining for a 41-0 record this season.
Wyatt Hendrickson is an absolute machine@CowboyWrestling @CFFCmatchday pic.twitter.com/WXnGFj5NHg
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) February 8, 2025
The early favorite at heavyweight has to be Steveson who won an Olympic gold medal in 2021. Hendrickson and Steveson haven’t met since Hendrickson was a freshman. Hendrickson wrestled Kerkvliet at the 2023 NCAA Championships, where Kerkvliet won a tight match. Kerkvliet won a national title last season while Steveson was away. Kerkvliet and Steveson should meet in the Big Ten tournament.
184: Dustin Plott
Dustin Plott's 15-2 overall record this season has him sitting at No. 3 in the 184 pound division. He is beind only Carter Starocci of Penn State at No. 1 with a record of 15-0 and Parker Kecheisen of Northern Iowa at No. 2 with an overall record this season of 18-0.
Dustin Plott is the #3 ranked wrestler at 184 and didn't take long to show his talent. He took Sinclair of Mizzou down very early in the 1st period then rode him for close to 2 minutes.
— OState Daily (@Ostate_Daily) February 2, 2025
Sinclair got penalized on a stall to make the score 4-1, then Plott took him down again late… pic.twitter.com/AcdWbUv8Z5
Plott has had a difficult time against Kecheisin in the past. He has faced him five times since Jan. 26, 2024 with Kecheisen winning all five matches. Plott's only two losses this season have come at the hands of Kecheisen.
174: Dean Hamiti Jr.
Deam Hamiti Jr. has been perfect this season with a top 5 best 18-0 record on the year. Hamiti is ranked No. 3 at 174 and trails only Keegan O'Toole of Missouri and Levi Haines of Penn State. He may be the hottest wrestler on the team and it is hard to imagine anyone better than Hamiti heading into the end of the season.
Dean Hamiti is just slick with it!!!@CowboyWrestling @CFFCmatchday pic.twitter.com/e3kxtmCGXq
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) February 8, 2025
The two wrestlers ranked higher have won a combined three National titles. Haines is the reigning 174-pound champ, and O’Toole won two national titles at 165 pounds before bumping up. Hamiti hasn’t officially crossed paths with either of those guys, but he wrestled O’Toole at the 2022 NWCA All-Star Classic (an event that doesn’t count on official records). O’Toole won that 165-pound meeting 7-1.
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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.