Oklahoma State Finishes 3rd at National Wrestling Duals
The Oklahoma State Cowboys entered year number two under the guidance of head coach David Taylor, looking to silence the doubters. The Pokes were hoping to prove that year number one was no fluke. Oklahoma State had a pair of National Champions a season ago and welcomed in a solid group from the transfer portal. Yet, it would be the freshmen recruited by Taylor and his staff that would steal the show at the National Duals.
The Pokes kicked off day one with an opening round dual against Cornell. Cornell wasn't intimidated by the heavy hitters on the Cowboy roster. They logged wins against Richard Figueroa, Alex Facundo and Zack Ryder. Then the youngsters entered the picture in their Oklahoma State debut.
No. 5 Landon Robideau (OKST) continues taking names at 157! He beats No. 4 Jackson Arrington (NCST) 7-2! pic.twitter.com/lCFaR8nIDi
— The Barn Session - Wrestling Podcast (@TheBarnSession) November 16, 2025
True Freshmen Dee Lockett and Sergio Vega both moved to 2-0 on the season with quality wins against Cornell. Fellow freshman Landon Robideau was coming off a Big 12 wrestler of the week honor and secured a technical fall win over Cornell's Benny Rogers. Cody Merrill and Konner Doucet rounded out the match with wins that gave the Cowboys a 22-12 team victory.
The Pokes made quick work of NC State in round number two behind another stellar performance from its underclassmen. True freshman Ronnie Ramirez made his first collegiate start against Zack Redding. His takedown with 10 seconds left in the match set the tone for the Cowboys.
LOCKED IN LOCKETT 🔒🔒🔒
— NCAA Men's Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) November 16, 2025
No. 6 freshman Dee Lockett (165) of @CowboyWrestling defeats No. 2 Michael Caliendo of Iowa with a last minute takedown. #NCAAWrestling x 🎥 @FloWrestling / @TheBarnSession pic.twitter.com/RyRROXxbkD
Vega's win over All-American Ryan Jack was followed by wins from Robideau and Dee Lockett. Zack Ryder got back on track with a 2-1 win over Don Cates. Doucet rounded out the night with a 20-4 tech fall over Everest Ouellette that set up a made-for-TV dual against bitter rival Iowa.
The Cowboys dropped their first two matches to fall behind early, but Sergio Vega got Oklahoma State on the board as he downed his second straight All-American of the tournament. Robideau moved to 3-0 on the weekend with a win over Victor Voinovich III. Lockett put 165 on notice when he downed National No. 2 Michael Caliendo. The Cowboys fell 18-16, which makes the two teams' season showdown all the more anticipated.
True Freshman Sergio Vega just majored #2 Brock Hardy 13-2 😳#nationalduals sponsored by @Paycom pic.twitter.com/4J592G8w0y
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 16, 2025
Spratley and Ramirez took care of business early against No. 2 seed Nebraska, and the Pokes put the pedal to the medal. Sergio Vega made a case for a top five ranking when he dominated his match against No. 2 Brock Hardy with a 13-2 major decision. Swiderski, Robideau, Lockett and Facundo each nabbed wins against Nebraska. The match of the tournament pitted former Oklahoma State National Champion AJ Ferrari against Konner Doucet. Ferrari snuck by with a narrow 2-1 win, and the rematch during the regular season is surely marked on Doucet's calendar.
The Cowboys entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed and took down the 2 seed Cornhuskers in the third-place dual to give the Pokes some momentum headed into the regular season. Hold onto your seats, Cowboy Nation, it's about to be a wild ride.
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.