Dreshaun Ross and Landon Robideau gave Oklahoma State a strong presence at the U20 World Championships in Slovakia, and the bigger picture was even better for the Americans. The U.S. medaled at all 10 weights and rolled to the team title with 205 points, finishing ahead of Russia’s 155, Japan’s 130 and Iran’s 103.
Ross, a freshman heavyweight for the Cowboys, came away with silver after dropping the world final to Abolfazl Mohammad Nezhad of Iran, 5-3. Ross was the more active wrestler offensively, but Nezhad made a couple of smart plays on the edge and then shut things down from there.
Even with the loss, it was a major result for Ross, who has not yet wrestled a college match and now owns a U20 world silver medal. He may still be in the mix to start at heavyweight for Oklahoma State this season, despite Konner Doucet - last year’s fourth-place NCAA finisher - also being on the roster.
Ross arrived with a huge résumé: he was the top-ranked heavyweight and No. 4 pound-for-pound prospect on MatScouts’ big board for the 2026 class, a four-time Iowa state champion who went 146-2 in high school. As a senior, he won every match by tech or fall, and he also won Fargo three times.
Robideau added a bronze at 70 kg on Sunday morning, beating Zalkarbek Tabaldiev of Kyrgyzstan, 3-1. He went into the break trailing 1-0 after giving up a passivity point, but he took control in the second period and used two push-outs and another passivity point to seal it.
The weekend was strong overall for Robideau, who finished 4-1 and only lost to Sina Khalili of Iran, the eventual champion. Khalili is also a U17 world champ and won the Zagreb Open earlier this year, and Robideau gave him his toughest match of the bracket. Robideau was 21-2 as a true freshman last season and avenged both of his losses at the NCAA Championships on the way to his title.
The American medal haul stretched across the entire lineup: four golds, three silvers and three bronzes. Here’s how the U.S. team and its college affiliations stacked up:
57 kg - Isaiah Cortez (Cornell), silver
61 kg - Aaron Seidel (Virginia Tech), gold
65 kg - Bo Bassett (Virginia Tech), gold
70 kg - Landon Robideau (Oklahoma State), bronze
74 kg - Jayden James (Penn State), silver
79 kg - Ryan Burton (Virginia Tech), bronze
86 kg - Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri), gold
92 kg - Jimmy Mastny (Iowa State), bronze
97 kg - Michael Boyle (Ohio State), gold
In Other News...
Oregon States Roster Just Showed A Promising Trait Late In Exhibition Win
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Oregon State Fall Camp Is Revealing Early Difference Makers Fast
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Quarterback Braden Atkinson is part of that growing wave of intrigue, and the staffs evaluation of him will be one of the more closely watched storylines as camp rolls on. The same is true for TJ Crandall, whose return to the defensive backfield has added another layer to the competition, while strength coach Jeff Eatons influence continues to show up in how this group is handling the physical demands of August. Oregon State still has time before the season begins, but the early signs suggest camp is doing exactly what a good camp should do: separating the merely promising from the players who are starting to matter. [Read more 🡒]