Sergio Vega Gets A Fall, but Cowboys and Merrill at 197 Battle to Beat Nebraska
(Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations contributed to this story from onside in Nebraska.)
LINCOLN, Neb. – Oklahoma State, thanks to a first period fall at 141 pounds by No. 2-ranked freshman and unbeaten Sergio Vega, led Nebraska 13-6 in working their way toward a second win this season over the Huskers. The Cowboys won in Tulsa at the National Duals Invitational 33-6. This one was in front of over 7,000 fans in Lincoln at the John Cook Arena in the Devaney Sports Complex. Vega should have been the hero, but the second half of this dual had Oklahoma State needing a clutch win at 197 pounds from No. 7-ranked redshirt freshman Cody Merrill.
“We need to win every one of these,” Nebraska coach Mark Manning said at the intermission. “They got the bonus points in the first half (of the dual), so we need to win the rest.”
“Offense, we need to keep scoring points and be on the offensive,” Cowboys head coach David Taylor countered with his comment for the Big Ten Network.
Merrill took the mat with the Cowboys up 16-12 and after a scoreless first period, Merrill started down and got a quick escape for a 1-0 lead. Nebraska’s No. 12 Camden McDanel was down the third period and he stayed down for most of it as Merrill rode him for 1:46 of riding time before he was able to roll out and get the escape. The riding time made it a 2-1 decision and the Cowboys had the dual clinched at 19-12 going to the heavyweights.
That was more craziness as No. 7 Konner Doucet was looking for a chance to avenge his loss in Tulsa to former Oklahoma State 197 pound NCAA champion and now Husker heavyweight A.J. Ferrari. Ferrari had shook hands before the dual, but then wasn’t feeling well and freshman Cade Ziola wrestled instead.
A lock hands call on Doucet in the second period halted a strong ride by Doucet. He still rode out the period but because of the lock hands call only had 1:58 in riding time. Ziola gave the escape point away to start the third period and the riding time again made the difference for another 2-1 decision this time for Doucet.
Oklahoma State won the dual 22-12. The Cowboys go to Christmas at No. 5 in the nation and 8-1 overall, 3-0 in the Big 12. Nebraska is ranked No. 6 and is 5-3 and yet to wrestle a Big Ten match.
"Great environment here today," Taylor said. "This was a really good match for both programs. They have a really good team, and it was a great dual. We had some good and some bad things, but that's the way things go. I'm grateful to be able to get this win."
The hero should have been and still was freshman and No. 2-ranked Sergio Vega as he took on Nebraska’s defending Big Ten champion and No. 3 Brock Hardy. In the first period, Vega used a single to a cradle to get the takedown and then in the scramble put Hardy’s shoulders on the mat while holding his lower body above him. The official got down and slapped the mat at 1:47 in the first period for the fall. Vega is now 8-0 on the season but with no room to move up the rankings.
The dual started with No. 7 Troy Spratley with three takedowns including a half-Nelson to a move around for the final three-point move and he scored the 12-4 major decison over unranked Husker Kael Lauridsen. Spratley is 6-2 on the season.
Nebraska got their first win from 133 pound Jacob Van Dee as he scored a 4-1 decision over the Pokes No. 21 Ronnie Ramirez. Ramirez drops to 6-3 on the season.
At 149 pounds No. 17 Casey Swiderski scored a 7-2 decision over No. 5 Chance Lamer and that ought to move Swiderski up the rankings some. The Cowboys led at that point 13-3.
The biggest disappointment came at 157 as Landon Robideau, one of the unbeaten and No. 2-ranked OSU freshmen lost to defending NCAA champion and No. 6 Artrell Taylor. Rodideau beat another Nebraska wrestler in Tulsa at the National Duals and was looking forward to this opportunity.
They went to overtime tied 2-2, where Taylor escaped in four seconds in tiebreaker 1. Robideau went neutral for his 30 seconds and could not score and Taylor won 3-2. There was a definite locked hands earlier in the second period whe Robideau got a reversal but there was no call on the hands. Taylor’s win made it 13-6 at the halfway point.
Dee Lockett stayed unbeaten and will stay ranked No. 2 after he used a double leg move to score a takedown in overtime sudden victory to beat No. 10 L.J. Araujo. The 165 pound Lockett showed his flamboyance after the win doing a little victory dance the direction of the Nebraska bench and received a warning from the outer official.
“I don’t know who he meant that for. Maybe he meant that for our assistant athletic trainer,” Nebraska head coach Mark Manning said when asked about the extra curricular activity. Nebraska had given out some of that when Taylor had beaten Robideau before the intermission.
The frantic finish was set up when No. 6 Christopher Minto beat No. 13 Alex Focundo at 174 with a 4-1 decision and then No. 9 Silas Allred won a 4-2 decision over No. 10 Zack Ryder of the Cowboys. The back-to-back decisions narrowed the Oklahoma State lead to 16-12 before Merrill and Doucet finished the dual.
Oklahoma State gets a little break for Christmas and then heads to the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga on Jan. 3-4. The next dual will be Bedlam at home on Jan. 11. The first home dual since opening the season on Nov. 11 with Stanford in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
No. 5 Oklahoma State 22, No. 6 Nebraska 12
Dec. 21, 2025 | Devaney Center | Lincoln, Neb.
Attendance: 7,094
125: No. 7 Troy Spratley (OSU) MD Kael Lauridsen (NEB), 12-4
133: No. 8 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 21 Ronnie Ramirez (OSU), 4-1
141: No. 2 Sergio Vega (OSU) fall No. 3 Brock Hardy (NEB), 1:47
149: No. 17 Casey Swiderski (OSU) dec. No. 5 Chance Lamer (NEB), 7-2
157: No. 6 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 2 Landon Robideau (OSU), 3-2 TB-1
165: No. 2 LaDarion Lockett (OSU) dec. No. 10 LJ Araujo (NEB), 4-1 SV
174: No. 6 Christopher Minto (NEB) dec. No. 14 Alex Facundo (OSU), 4-1
184: No. 9 Silas Allred (NEB) dec. No. 10 Zach Ryder (OSU), 4-2
197: No. 7 Cody Merrill (OSU) dec. No. 12 Camden McDanel (NEB), 2-1
HWT: No. 7 Konner Doucet (OSU) dec. Cade Ziola (NEB), 2-1
