Oklahoma State Dominates Missouri, Jax Forrest Shines in First Road Dual
Oklahoma State wrestling rolled into Columbia and left no doubt, dismantling Missouri 33-3 in a statement win Friday night. And once again, it was freshman phenom Jax Forrest who lit the spark.
Wrestling in just his third event since enrolling early, Forrest delivered a 16-1 technical fall over Missouri’s Gage Walker at 133 pounds - and he didn’t need much time to do it. The match was over just 11 seconds into the second period, but Forrest made every second count.
From the opening whistle, Forrest wasted no time getting to work. He scored a takedown early, transitioned into four nearfall points, then cut Walker loose only to take him down again.
In the second, Forrest escaped quickly, secured his third takedown, and added two more nearfall points to close the door. Efficient, relentless, and dominant - the kind of performance that’s quickly becoming his signature.
With the win, Forrest moves to 6-0 on the season. He opened his college career with a pin over Oklahoma’s Carter Schmidt, then went 4-0 at the Cyclone Open last weekend. For a guy who should still be in high school, Forrest is wrestling like a seasoned vet.
But as electric as Forrest was, the biggest swing match of the night came at 174 pounds. No.
7 Alex Facundo edged out No. 10 Cam Steed in a gritty 2-1 decision.
It wasn’t flashy - in fact, it was a grind - but Facundo stayed aggressive in the third period and forced a stall call that gave him the deciding point. That kind of pressure wrestling doesn’t always show up in highlights, but it wins duals.
This was Facundo’s seventh bout against a Top 10 opponent, and he’s now 3-4 in those matchups. More importantly, he’s trending in the right direction with back-to-back wins over Steed and Oklahoma’s Carter Schubert.
Heavyweight Cody Merrill also turned in a strong performance, shutting out No. 12 Evan Bates 4-0.
Merrill picked up an escape point to start the second, then showcased his top-game toughness by riding out the entire third period. Bates tried to roll out late, but Merrill stayed heavy and collected nearfall points to seal the deal.
Even OSU’s lone loss of the night came with a silver lining. Zack Ryder dropped a 4-1 decision to No.
3 Aeoden Sinclair at 184 pounds, but it was a back-and-forth chess match that was decided by a third-period takedown. The sequence was a scramble clinic - counters on top of counters - and Ryder was right in the mix with a guy many see as the national title front-runner at the weight.
The Cowboys opened the dual with three straight bonus-point wins, setting the tone early. At 125, Troy Spratley nearly teched Mack Mauger, winning 19-5 in a dominant showing.
Then came Forrest’s tech fall, followed by Sergio Vega pinning Easton Hilton in the first period at 141 pounds. That’s three freshmen, three statement wins.
At 157 pounds, OSU’s Landon Robideau squared off against former teammate and current Missouri transfer Teague Travis in a wrestle-off rematch. Robideau took control this time, shutting Travis out 5-0.
Defensively, the Cowboys were rock solid. After holding Oklahoma without a takedown in their last dual, OSU gave up just one takedown all night - the third-period score in Ryder’s match.
Oklahoma State was scheduled to face Utah Valley on Sunday, but that dual has been postponed due to an incoming snowstorm. The Cowboys will return to action next Friday when they host Northern Iowa in Stillwater.
Oklahoma State vs. Missouri - Key Results:
- 125: Troy Spratley def. Mack Mauger, 19-5
- 133: Jax Forrest def. Gage Walker, 16-1 (Tech Fall)
- 141: Sergio Vega def. Easton Hilton (Fall)
- 157: Landon Robideau def. Teague Travis, 5-0
- 174: Alex Facundo def. Cam Steed, 2-1
- 197: Cody Merrill def. Evan Bates, 4-0
- 184: Zack Ryder lost to Aeoden Sinclair, 4-1
The Cowboys are building momentum - and with young stars like Forrest, Vega, and Merrill leading the charge, the future looks bright in Stillwater.