Oklahoma State Dominates No. 17 Missouri Wrestling in Lopsided Dual at Hearnes Center
The Missouri Tigers returned home to the Hearnes Center on Friday night, but the welcome was anything but warm. Fifth-ranked Oklahoma State rolled into Columbia and flexed its muscle, handing No. 17 Missouri a decisive 33-3 loss in a dual that was all Cowboys, all night.
With the defeat, Missouri drops to 8-7 on the season. The Tigers won just one of the ten bouts, getting outscored in the rest by a combined 32 points. They’ll look to regroup quickly with Northern Colorado coming to town Sunday-weather permitting.
Let’s break down what happened, weight by weight, in a dual that showcased just how deep and dangerous Oklahoma State really is.
125 lbs: #7 Troy Spratley (OSU) def. #24 Mack Mauger (MIZ), 19-5
Mauger came in riding a six-match win streak, including a title run at the Soldier Salute in Iowa. But Spratley, a returning NCAA finalist, was on another level.
He racked up five takedowns-three of them in the third period alone-as he chased the tech fall and set the tone early for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys jumped out to a 4-0 team lead, and Missouri was immediately on its heels.
133 lbs: #14 Jax Forrest (OSU) def. #26 Gage Walker (MIZ), 16-1
Forrest brought world-class credentials into this one-literally. He was part of the U.S.
Senior freestyle world team and won a U23 world title last summer. That international pedigree showed up in a hurry.
Forrest blitzed Walker with two takedowns and a pair of turns to build a 12-1 lead in the first period, then finished it off in the second with an escape and another takedown. The technical fall pushed the Cowboys' lead to 9-0, and they were just getting started.
141 lbs: #2 Sergio Vega (OSU) def. Easton Hilton (MIZ), Fall (1:32)
Vega, a decorated freshman and four-time Arizona state champ, wasted no time. He countered Hilton’s early shot, locked up a cradle, and ended things in just 92 seconds. That pin put Oklahoma State up 15-0 after just three matches, and Missouri was staring at a blowout.
149 lbs: #12 Casey Swiderski (OSU) def. Seth Mendoza (MIZ), 4-3
This was Missouri’s first real chance to swing the momentum. Swiderski got out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a late first-period takedown and a second-period escape.
But Mendoza, a true freshman from Illinois, turned up the heat. He controlled the pace in the third, forced three stalling calls, and nearly completed the comeback.
But he couldn’t finish on his shots, and Swiderski held on. The Tigers were still scoreless as the Cowboys extended their lead to 18-0.
157 lbs: #6 Landon Robideau (OSU) def. #15 Teague Travis (MIZ), 5-0
This one had some personal stakes. Travis, a Columbia native and former Oklahoma State wrestler, faced his old team in front of a home crowd.
But Robideau played spoiler. He scored a late first-period takedown, rode out the second period, and added an escape in the third to lock up the win.
With riding time factored in, it was a clean, controlled 5-0 victory-and a 21-0 halftime lead for Oklahoma State.
165 lbs: #2 Ladarion Lockett (OSU) def. J Conway (MIZ), 4-2
Conway, who bumped up from 157 to 165 just last week, gave the second-ranked Lockett everything he could handle. Lockett scored early with a first-period takedown, but Conway nearly turned the tables late.
He appeared to score a takedown on the edge in the third, but after review, the call stood in Lockett’s favor. A stalling point kept things close, but Lockett escaped with the win, and the Cowboys kept piling on.
174 lbs: #7 Alex Facundo (OSU) def. #10 Cam Steed (MIZ), 2-1
This Top-10 matchup was a grind from the opening whistle. Both wrestlers earned escapes, but Facundo picked up a crucial point on a third-period stalling call.
That was enough to secure the win and, more importantly, clinch the dual for Oklahoma State. At 27-0, the Cowboys had officially locked it up.
184 lbs: #3 Aeoden Sinclair (MIZ) def. #8 Zack Ryder (OSU), 4-1
Finally, some life for Missouri-and it came from one of their brightest young stars. Sinclair, a redshirt freshman with serious NCAA title aspirations, delivered Missouri’s lone win of the night.
After a scoreless first period, both wrestlers traded escapes. Then, with 30 seconds left in the third, Sinclair struck with a takedown to seal the 4-1 victory.
It was Missouri’s only takedown of the entire dual, but it was enough to avoid the shutout.
197 lbs: #7 Cody Merrill (OSU) def. #12 Evan Bates (MIZ), 2-0
This one had some sparks early, with both wrestlers scrambling in the first. But Merrill edged ahead with a second-period escape and locked up riding time in the third to finish off a 2-0 win. Just another example of Oklahoma State’s ability to control matches in tight spots.
285 lbs: #6 Konner Doucet (OSU) def. #26 Jarrett Stoner (MIZ), 4-1
Doucet opened with a takedown in the first and never gave Stoner much room to breathe. He added an escape in the second and banked riding time in the third.
Stoner managed an escape and avoided giving up more, but never truly threatened to score. The final match of the night went to the Cowboys, capping off a dominant 33-3 performance.
Final Takeaway
This was a statement win for Oklahoma State. From top to bottom, the Cowboys looked like a team with national championship aspirations-technical, composed, and relentless.
For Missouri, it was a tough night at home, but not without its silver linings. Sinclair’s win at 184 was impressive, and there were flashes of fight in several other bouts.
But against a squad like Oklahoma State, flashes aren’t enough.
The Tigers will have to regroup quickly, with Northern Colorado up next. But Friday night was a reminder of the level required to hang with the nation’s elite-and how far Missouri still has to go to get there.