Oklahoma State University’s wrestling team, ranked No. 4 nationally, secured a 34-6 victory over Air Force on Friday night at Clune Arena in Colorado Springs. The Cowboys won eight out of ten matches and earned bonus points in six bouts. This win brings Oklahoma State’s record to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in Big 12 conference play, while Air Force drops to 2-2 and 0-1 in the conference.
“We came up here and competed hard on a short week,” coach David Taylor said. “We were missing some of our guys, and that made a good opportunity for some guys to step up. I think Kody Routledge did a great job making weight on short notice and wrestling well. Cody Merrill did a great job as well; he’s really starting to find his offense. We’re finding ways to continue to get better, and now we’ve got to turn around and get ready for Arizona State.”
The dual began at the 165-pound class with true freshman Dee Lockett, ranked No. 2, pinning Sebastien Martinez in the third period for an early lead. At 174 pounds, Alex Facundo, ranked No. 16, achieved his second technical fall win of the season against Gunner Cramblett with a score of 21-6.
Zack Ryder (184 pounds) and Cody Merrill (197 pounds), both ranked No. 9 in their classes, contributed major decision wins that extended Oklahoma State’s lead to 19-0 after four matches. Heavyweight Konner Doucet added another technical fall victory with a score of 22-6.
Kody Routledge made his collegiate debut at the 157-pound class by rallying from behind for a major decision win over RJ Beloncik, finishing at 15-6.
Cutter Sheets debuted this season at the 149-pound class with a win over Bryce Shelton (5-2), while Richard Figueroa II—a former national champion—secured his first victory as an Oklahoma State wrestler by defeating Gavin Caprella (8-6).
Gary Steen (125 pounds) and JJ McComas (141 pounds), both making their Cowboy dual debuts, lost close matches.
Oklahoma State will travel next to Tempe, Arizona for a matchup against Arizona State University on Sunday, November 23 at 2 p.m., which will be broadcast on ESPN+.