The Oklahoma State wrestling team, ranked No. 5 nationally, secured a decisive 34-3 victory over No. 13 Northern Iowa on Friday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. The Cowboys won nine out of ten matches, earning bonus points in four of them. With this win, Oklahoma State’s season record stands at 11-1 overall and 6-0 in the Big 12 Conference. Northern Iowa now holds a 9-5 overall record and is 3-1 in conference competition.
Over their last three dual meets against Oklahoma, Missouri, and Northern Iowa, the Cowboys have dominated by outscoring opponents 104-6 and losing only two individual bouts.
Head coach David Taylor commented on the team’s performance: “I just think there’s an expectation and standard of what we’re working towards,” Taylor said. “We’re not just trying to win duals; we’re not trying to just beat teams. We are trying to dominate people, and we are trying to continue to get better and separate ourselves. That’s for the benefit of the team and individuals here. I think a lot of the guys can leave with improvements from this. We just have to keep getting better, and we have a really great test on Sunday. I’m looking forward to seeing our team go out and wrestle. It’s going to be a really good opportunity for us.”
In one notable match-up at 165 pounds, No. 2 Dee Lockett overcame a late deficit against No. 6 Ryder Downey by scoring a takedown and near-fall points in the final seconds, preserving his undefeated season record at 10-0.
At 174 pounds, Alex Facundo—recently named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week—earned his fifth ranked win by defeating Jared Simma. Facundo has now recorded three straight victories over top-15 opponents.
Jax Forrest (133 lbs) extended his unbeaten collegiate streak to seven matches with a technical fall over Julian Farber; six of those wins have come with bonus points.
Heavyweight Konner Doucet pinned Grant Stromberg for his seventh consecutive victory, marking a new single-season career high for falls.
Freshmen Sergio Vega (141 lbs) and Landon Robideau (157 lbs) each posted major decision wins; Vega remains undefeated at 11-0 without having surrendered a takedown this season.
Casey Swiderski (149 lbs) picked up his second ranked win as an Oklahoma State wrestler against Caleb Rathjen and has now won nine of his last ten matches after starting his Cowboy career with four losses.
Cody Merrill (197 lbs) improved to an 11-1 season record following a shutout win over Carson Babcock; he has not allowed any points in his last three contests.
Troy Spratley (125 lbs) began the night with his seventh straight victory by defeating Trever Anderson.
Oklahoma State’s only loss came at 184 pounds when Zack Ryder was defeated by Nick Fox in sudden victory overtime.
The Cowboys will return to action on Sunday, February 1 against No. 3 Iowa State at Gallagher-Iba Arena; fans can watch live coverage on ESPN+.