The University of Iowa wrestling team, ranked seventh nationally, was defeated by third-ranked Oklahoma State with a score of 32–11 on Sunday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.
Iowa head coach Tom Brands commented on the significance of the match and preparation for upcoming tournaments. “165 was an important match for the postseason and seeds,” said Brands. “They are all important for the postseason and seeds. We’ve got the Big Ten Championships coming up. If you go match-to-match and look at a general tip, get the first takedown and ride. Take it out of them and then build your lead. Get that first takedown and wrestle a tough match, wrestle your match. Finish the seven minutes strong and hard. Pretty good overall formula, right there, to win tough matches in an environment like that.”
Oklahoma State started strong at 125 pounds with No. 7 Troy Spratley earning a 5–2 decision over Iowa’s Dean Peterson. The Cowboys increased their advantage through bonus points in subsequent matches: No. 6 Jax Forrest won by technical fall against Drake Ayala at 133 pounds (19–3), while No. 2 Sergio Vega pinned Kale Petersen at 141 pounds.
Iowa responded at 149 pounds when Ryder Block achieved a technical fall over Kolter Burton (19–4). However, Oklahoma State extended its lead before halftime as Landon Robideau secured a decision over Jordan Williams at 157 pounds.
After intermission, Iowa managed consecutive victories to narrow the gap: Michael Caliendo defeated Dee Lockett by decision (4–2) at 165 pounds—avenging an earlier loss—and Patrick Kennedy followed with an 8–3 win against Alex Facundo at 174 pounds.
At 184 pounds, Zach Ryder from Oklahoma State claimed victory over Gabe Arnold in sudden victory after a stall call ended the bout with a score of 2–1.
The final two matches went to Oklahoma State by pins: Cody Merrill defeated Brody Sampson at 197 pounds (4:47), while Konnor Doucet pinned Gage Marty in the heavyweight division (5:54).
Attendance for the event reached 12,629 spectators.