Oklahoma State Makes a Statement, Handles Nebraska 27-6 in Top-Three Wrestling Showdown

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State sent a message to the rest of the college wrestling world Friday night, turning a highly anticipated showdown between two of the nation's top three programs into a convincing 27-6 victory over Nebraska in front of a sold-out crowd at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The No. 2 Cowboys won eight of the 10 matches against the No. 3 Cornhuskers, controlling the action throughout much of the night and showing the kind of depth, toughness and aggressive wrestling that head coach David Taylor has been building in Stillwater. Oklahoma State opened the dual with three consecutive victories, added important wins in the middle weights and finished the night with a 27-3 advantage before Nebraska picked up its second victory at heavyweight.

The evening began with one of the most anticipated matchups of the dual at 125 pounds, where Oklahoma State freshman Rocklin Zinkin (unranked) faced Nebraska's No. 4-ranked Vincent Robinson, a former national champion and two-time All-American. The two wrestlers battled through a scoreless first period, with Robinson picking up the first point on an escape in the second. Zinkin answered with an escape of his own in the third, sending the match into sudden victory tied at 1-1. Neither wrestler could find the winning points in overtime, forcing the match into tiebreakers. Zinkin delivered an impressive ride in the first 30-second period, keeping Robinson from escaping. Robinson chose neutral in the second tiebreaker and needed a takedown to win, but Zinkin defended the attacks and held on for a 2-1 victory. It was a significant win for the freshman and gave the Cowboys an early 3-0 lead.

At 133 pounds, defending national champion Jax Forrest (No. 1) gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about. Facing Nebraska's Jacob Van Dee (No. 8), a three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time All-American, Forrest attacked from the opening whistle. He scored repeatedly with takedowns, used his scrambling ability to turn defensive situations into scoring opportunities and kept Van Dee under pressure throughout the match. Van Dee managed a reversal, but Forrest continued to pile up points and finished with a 21-6 technical fall at the six-minute mark. The victory pushed Oklahoma State's lead to 8-0.

Freshman Jayden Raney (No. 15) kept the momentum going at 141 pounds against Nebraska's Lincoln Sledzianowski (unranked). Raney established control early, scoring a takedown and riding his opponent through the end of the first period. He continued to build his advantage with another takedown and near-fall points, while keeping Sledzianowski from putting together a sustained offensive attack. Raney finished with a 10-2 major decision, giving the Cowboys a 12-0 advantage after the first three matches.

The action moved to 149 pounds, where Oklahoma State's Sergio Vega (No. 2) faced Nebraska's Anthony Echemendia (No. 5) in a matchup of two highly accomplished wrestlers. Echemendia, a two-time All-American, presented a difficult challenge, but Vega once again showed why he is among the country's toughest wrestlers to score against. Vega secured the opening takedown and used his defense and control to keep Echemendia from finding the offense he needed. Vega earned a 4-2 decision, extending the Oklahoma State lead to 15-0.

At 157 pounds, fans were treated to a rematch of the previous season's NCAA championship bout, with Oklahoma State's Landon Robideau (No. 1) facing Nebraska's Antrell Taylor (No. 3). Robideau, the 2026 national champion, and Taylor, the 2025 national champion, spent much of the match battling for position in a tightly contested contest. Robideau continued to pressure Taylor and keep the action moving forward. The match remained scoreless through the first period, and Taylor picked up an escape to take a 1-0 lead in the second. Robideau answered in the third period, earning an escape and then forcing two stalling points as he continued to press the action. Those points proved decisive, giving Robideau a 3-1 victory and Oklahoma State an 18-0 lead.

The Cowboys added another important win at 165 pounds when Casey Swiderski (No. 3) took on Nebraska's Meyer Shapiro (unranked), a three-time All-American. The match was close throughout, with both wrestlers fighting for openings and neither willing to give up easy points. Swiderski found the difference in the third period, scoring a takedown to secure a 4-2 decision. The victory was particularly important against an experienced opponent of Shapiro's caliber and pushed the team score to 21-0.

Nebraska finally got on the scoreboard at 174 pounds. Oklahoma State sent Lorenzo Norman (unranked) to the mat against Nebraska's Christopher Minto (No. 2). Norman was making his dual debut for the Cowboys after losing the wrestle-off to teammate Alex Facundo at the Cowboy Invitational. Norman battled Minto in a competitive match, but Minto came through with a takedown in the third period to earn a 5-1 decision. The victory gave Nebraska its first team points of the night, making the score 21-3.

At 184 pounds, Oklahoma State freshman Michael "Mikey" White (No. 11) continued to show why the Cowboys are excited about his potential. White faced Nebraska's Lucas Cochran (No. 18), a transfer from Penn State, in a match that featured several scoring exchanges. White built a 3-2 advantage entering the third period and continued to attack, recording additional takedowns to create separation. Cochran stayed in the match and picked up points of his own, but White maintained control and finished with a 9-5 decision. The victory moved Oklahoma State within one win of closing out the dual, with the Cowboys leading 24-3.

The 197-pound matchup brought another tense finish as Oklahoma State's Cody Merrill (No. 2) met Nebraska's Camden McDanel (No. 5). The two had wrestled close matches in the past, and Friday's contest followed a similar pattern. Neither wrestler could create much separation during regulation, with the match tied 1-1 at the end of the third period. The bout went to sudden victory, where Merrill found his opportunity and scored the decisive points. His 4-1 sudden-victory decision gave Oklahoma State a 27-3 lead heading into the heavyweight match.

The final bout featured Oklahoma State freshman Dreshaun Ross (unranked) against Nebraska's Cade Ziola (No. 14), a redshirt freshman from Omaha who had moved up to heavyweight. Ross entered the dual with considerable attention surrounding his potential, while Ziola was looking to close the night on a positive note for the Huskers. The match was tied 1-1 late, with both wrestlers working for a decisive scoring opportunity. Ross attacked near the end, but Ziola countered the exchange, worked his way into position and scored a takedown in the closing seconds. The last-second score gave Ziola a 4-1 decision and Nebraska its second victory of the night, making the final team score 27-6.

Despite the late heavyweight loss, the night belonged to Oklahoma State. The Cowboys won eight matches, collected bonus points through Forrest's technical fall and Raney's major decision, and repeatedly made Nebraska work for every offensive opportunity. The broadcast also highlighted Oklahoma State's advantage in takedowns and the team's ability to control the center of the mat and keep opponents under pressure.

Oklahoma State now turns its attention to next Friday's road matchup against Arizona State in Tempe. After a dominant performance against one of the nation's premier programs, the Cowboys leave Gallagher-Iba Arena with a 27-6 victory and an early-season statement that will be noticed throughout college wrestling.

Oklahoma State 27, Nebraska 6

125 pounds: Rocklin Zinkin (Oklahoma State) defeated Vincent Robinson (Nebraska), 2-1.

133 pounds: Jax Forrest (Oklahoma State) defeated Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska), 21-6 technical fall.

141 pounds: Jayden Raney (Oklahoma State) defeated Lincoln Sledzianowski (Nebraska), 10-2 major decision.

149 pounds: Sergio Vega (Oklahoma State) defeated Anthony Echemendia (Nebraska), 4-2.

157 pounds: Landon Robideau (Oklahoma State) defeated Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), 3-1.

165 pounds: Casey Swiderski (Oklahoma State) defeated Meyer Shapiro (Nebraska), 4-2.

174 pounds: Christopher Minto (Nebraska) defeated Lorenzo Norman (Oklahoma State), 5-1.

184 pounds: Michael White (Oklahoma State) defeated Lucas Cochran (Nebraska), 9-5.

197 pounds: Cody Merrill (Oklahoma State) defeated Camden McDanel (Nebraska), 4-1 in sudden victory.

Heavyweight: Cade Ziola (Nebraska) defeated Dreshaun Ross (Oklahoma State), 4-1.

Final Team Score: Oklahoma State 27, Nebraska 6.

Oklahoma State won eight matches, while Nebraska won two.