No More Oklahoma State or Cowboy RTC Wrestlers Advance, Hamiti Loses by Decision

STILLWATER – The good news is that Oklahoma State wrestling and the Cowboy RTC will be well represented in Final X as wrestlers finalize the line-up for the USA Wrestling World Team. At 61 kg Oklahoma State 2026 commitment Jax Forrest won the Senior US Open to qualify, so did Joe McKenna at 65 kg as did Zahid Valencia at 86 kg. Newly crowned NCAA Champion at heavyweight and Air Force World Class Athlete Performer participant and Cowboy RTC team member Wyatt Hendrickson was the 125 kg champion at the US Senior Open. Stillwater native and incoming Oklahoma State freshman LaDarion Lockett won the under 20 US Open title and will wrestle on the under 20 world team.

Sam Janicki USA Wrestling

Hamiti in blue in World Team trials.

The last chance to make the Final X competition and stay alive for the USA World team was at the World Team Trials this past weekend in Louisville. There were three Oklahoma State and CRTC athletes there. However, none of them qualified. The closest was NCAA Champion Dean Hamiti at 165 who was the runner-up at the Sr. US Open and made it to the World Team Trials final. Hamiti beat Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC) in the 79 kg semifinals with a 5-3 decision. Then in the finals it was Levi Haines of Nittany Lion Wrestling Club that reversed a loss to Hamiti in the NCAA semifinals by winning a 10-2 decision to advance.

The other Cowboys in Louisville results were Dustin Plott losing at 92 kg in the semifinal to eventual winner Josh Barr of (NKLWC/Titan Wrestling Club) by a 10-4 decision.

Carter Young failed to advance out of the first round as he lost a 9-4 decision to Marcus Blaze of Titan/Mercury Wrestling Club. Below are the winners from the World Team trials this weekend that will advance on to Final X.

65kg: Real Woods (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury Wrestling)

70kg: PJ Duke (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club) 

74kg: David Carr (Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury Wrestling)

79kg: Levi Haines (TMWC/NLWC)

86kg: Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury Wrestling)

92kg: Josh Barr (NLWC/Titan Mercury Wrestling)

97kg: Hayden Zillmer (Gopher Wrestling Club) 

125kg: Trent Hillger (Gopher Wrestling Club)