Cowboy Wrestling: Zack Ryder, Casey Swiderski to Wrestle at NWCA All-Star Classic

Oklahoma State’s wrestling season is just over a month away (schedule here) but a pair of Pokes will get going a little early.

Zack Ryder and Casey Swiderski are scheduled to wrestle at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 1 in New Jersey. The event will be streamed on Flo.

The All-Star Classic doesn’t officially count on college records but provides a solid kickoff to the wrestling season with a slate of high caliber matches.

Ryder

Ryder, who Flo ranks as the No. 7 wrestler in the country at 184 pounds, will take on No. 4 Jaxon Smith of Maryland.

Ryder is a redshirt freshman who transferred to OSU from Penn State this offseason. He went 8-0 while redshirting as a Nittany Lion, winning the Southern Scuffle and earning a share of the Black Knight Invitational title.

Out of Merrick, New York, Ryder is a two-time U17 bronze medalist and a U20 silver medalist. He won the 2022 U17 U.S. Open, the 2023 U17 U.S. Open and the 2024 U20 U.S. Open. He was a top 10 wrestler in his recruiting class and actually forwent his senior season to train with David Taylor at the M2 Training Center before Taylor took the job as the Cowboys’ coach.

Smith was an All-American in 2025, marking the first time Maryland had an All-American since 2019. He went 24-10 last season, a record that included 15 bonus-point victories.

Swiderski

Flo considers Swiderski as the No. 5 wrestler in the country at 149 pounds, and he’ll battle No. 3 Lachlan McNeil (Michigan) at the event.

Swiderski transferred to Stillwater from Iowa State this offseason.

He’s a redshirt junior who missed last season because of injury. He was an All-American at 149 in 2024, powering through an injury-riddled season to finish seventh at NCAAs. He went 24-5 that year with 13 bonus-point wins.

Swiderski was an NCAA qualifier at 141 points as a freshman in 2022-23. going 14-12 on the year. He was a win shy of All-America status, falling in the blood round.

Out of Dundee, Michigan, Swiderski was the No. 3 prospect in the 2022 class, according to MatScouts. He was a four-time state champ, marking just the fourth time a Michigan wrestler accomplished that feat.

McNeil is a three-time All-American after finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships last season. This will be his first year at Michigan after transferring from North Carolina.

NWCA All-Star Classic Men’s Matchups

125: No. 4 Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 5 Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh)
133: No. 1 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) vs. No. 7 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers)
141: No. 1 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. No. 7 Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State)
149: No. 3 Lachlan McNeil (Michigan) vs. No. 5 Casey Swiderski (Oklahoma State)
157: No. 4 Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) vs. No. 5 Ty Watters (West Virginia)
165: No. 4 Hunter Garvin (Stanford) vs. No. 7 Max Brignola (Lehigh)
174: No. 3 Simon Ruiz (Cornell) vs. No. 8 Lenny Pinto (Rutgers)
184: No. 4 Jaxon Smith (Maryland) vs. No. 7 Zack Ryder (Oklahoma State)
197: No. 3 Joey Novak (Wyoming) vs. No. 4 Stephen Little (Little Rock)
285: No. 3 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs. No. 4 Taye Ghadiali (Michigan)