Whoops, Wyatt Hendrickson Did It Again! Now NCAA and U.S. Open Champion
It’s a shame that the U.S. Open Wrestling in Las Vegas wasn’t nationally televised on a major network or even streamed on ESPN+ because the sport missed a fantastic opportunity for great exposure to some outstanding wrestling and current and emerging stars in the sport.
Of course, fans at Oklahoma State were excited about recent NCAA individual champions Dean Hamiti Jr. (165 lbs./79 kg) and “Captain America” Wyatt Hendrickson (Hwt. /125 kg). Hamiti’s U.S. Open bid ended with a 9-1 dec. loss to Evan Wick. However, the roll Hendrickson has been on in going unbeaten this season and upsetting Olympic and multiple World Champion Gable Steveson of Minnesota to win the NCAA continued. Hendrickson rolled to the U.S. Open 125 kg Championship with a 14-3 tech fall at 3:51 in the match.
Hendrickson fell behind to Demetrius Thomas 1-0 when Thomas got a passive but pushed out Hendrickson to collect a point. That lit the fire, and Hendrickson got thee takedowns and on the third added two rolls for two exposures and a 10-1 advantage after the first period. Thomas opened the second period with a takedown, but then Hendrickson got a takedown and exposure to end the match.
Hamiti Jr. took an early 1-0 lead, but after the break Hamiti went on the clock for passive and Wick got that point and then a takedown with multiple exposures to run out the 9-1 decision.
One of the biggest results of the night involved another Cowboy Regional Training Center wrestler in Zahid Valencia who won the 85 kg Championship with an 8-4 win over Kyle Dake. Valencia built up an early 5-0 lead with a takedown and exposure while Dake was on the clock for a passive call. Dake got back in it, but Valencia got a takedown as time ran out to get the 8-4 decision.
Oklahoma State fans can get really excited about Pennsylvania standout Jax Forrest, who committed to Oklahoma State in the class of 2026, but the No.1 recruit, multiple Pennsylvania State Champion, and 2022 U17 World Silver Medalist is a champion in the seniors as he won the 61 kg with a tech fall 19-8 win over 2023 NCAA Champion Seth Gross in 5:35 of the match.
Forrest fell behind early but then used a combo of a takedown and exposure to tie the match at 6-6. He went on to collect four more takedowns in the match along with a step out and collected the win. Cowboy fans have a lot to look forward to with Forrest.
This is a 17-year-old beating grown men, all of them with championships and medals on their wall. You had to love the celebratory OSU at the end of his match.
In one of the most exciting matches of the night, and they were all exciting, Joseph McKenna, a former Ohio State wrestler that has migrated to Stillwater to wrestle for Cowboy RTC. McKenna got a takedown to lead 2-1 over Jesse Mendez. Mendez went on the clock with a passive and McKenna collected the point to go up 3-1. In the final second Mendez pushed out McKenna to make it 3-2 but there was just one second left on the clock. McKenna survived 3-2 for the championship decision.
Here are all the finals results:
US Open Wrestling Senior Men Freestyle - Championship Finals
Cowboy RTC wrestlers in bold
57-kg Championship - Luke Lilledahl Over Liam Cronin (TF 10-0 (2:45))
60-kg Championship - Yianni Diakomihalis Over James Green (Dec 8-2)
61-kg Championship - Jax Forrest Over Seth Gross (TF 19-8 (5:35))
65-kg Championship - Joseph McKenna Over Jesse Mendez (Dec 3-2)
74-kg Championship - Mitchell Mesenbrink Over David Carr (TF 16-6 (5:32))
79-kg Championship - Evan Wick Over Dean Hamiti Jr. (Dec 9-1)
86-kg Championship - Zahid Valencia Over Kyle Dake (Dec 8-4)
92-kg Championship - Trent Hidlay Over Aeoden Sinclair (Dec 7-1)
97-kg Championship - Kyle Snyder Over Jonathan Aiello (TF 11-0 (3:19))
125-kg Championship - Wyatt Hendrickson Over Demetrius Thomas (TF 14-3 (3:51))
