OSU Wrestling: Cavalcade of Cowboys, Future Cowboys Headed to U23 Nationals, U20 World Team Trials

It’s another big weekend for the current and future of the Oklahoma State wrestling program, as young grapplers from all around the country will convene in Geneva, Ohio for the U20 World Team Trials and U23 Nationals.

It’s a three-day event, held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Spire Academy. Without further ado, here is a look at Cowboys and future Cowboys who have registered, according to Flo. OSU put out a list earlier Thursday that didn’t feature some names the Flo’s registration list did feature, so some of these guys might end up not going.

U20

U23

Starting with the U20s, each weight has its respective U.S. Open champ waiting in the finals for a best-of-three series against whichever wrestler comes out of the bracket. The winner of the best-of-three earns the right to represent the United States at the U20 World Championships on Aug. 18-24 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

As for the U23s, the World Team spot goes to Senior National Team members at a given weight, but if that weight doesn’t have an age-eligible wrestler, the winner here will represent Team USA. Superstar OSU commit Jax Forrest, for example, has a spot on the U23 national team thanks to his senior level win at the U.S. Open.

Stillwater standout LaDarion Lockett is one of those U20 wrestlers who will wait in the finals at 74 kg after he won the Open last month.

The 65 kg bracket will be a fun one to watch on the U20 side. It features incoming OSU freshman Sergio Vega. Vega didn’t wrestle at the Open last month but will hop in a bracket this weekend that includes Bo Bassett, Aden Valencia, Daniel Zepeda and others battling it out for the right to wrestle Luke Stanich in the final.

Cody Merrill looks to be in a good spot to be in the Cowboys’ lineup next season after redshirting this past year. Merrill made it to the finals of the Open last month but fell to Connor Mirasola, who redshirted at Penn State last season. At 125 kg, OSU commit Dreshaun Ross also made it to the U20 Open final but fell to Cole Mirasola, Connor’s twin, who also took a redshirt at Penn State last season.

As for the U23s, OSU starter Tagen Jamison popped up on Flo’s registration list but wasn’t on OSU’s Thursday graphic. He hasn’t wrestled at the major freestyle events in the early part of this offseason.

Brayden Thompson is also in the field at 86 kg. Thompson battled to an eighth-place finish at the Senior U.S. Open, narrowly beating teammate Jersey Robb (also wrestling this weekend) in the process. Thompson started for the Cowboys as a true freshman before redshirting this past offseason.

The U20 freestyle brackets will wrestle all day Saturday. The U23s start Saturday and wrap up on Sunday. The event will be streamed on Flo.