Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Sam Janicki (USA Wrestling)
Cowboy Contingent Headed to U.S. Open
April 23, 2025 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER – Several past, present and future Cowboys are set to compete at the CLAW U.S. Open Championships in Las Vegas this weekend with hopes of taking the first step towards World team membership.
In the senior freestyle division, each weight's champion will earn a spot at this summer's Final X, where a best-of-three series will be contested to determine the U.S. representative at the 2025 Senior World Championships. For those who don't win this weekend, they will have one more shot to earn a Final X berth at the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament next month. The only exceptions to that come at 57 and 61 kilograms, where a returning World/Olympic medalist has already accepted their bid to Final X and left just one spot remaining in the best-of-three series.
Similarly, every U20 champion at the U.S. Open earns automatic qualification into the best-of-three finals at the U20 World Team Trials in June. A win there would then seal the Team USA spot for the 2025 U20 World Championships.
Fresh off their NCAA titles last month, Dean Hamiti Jr. (79 kg) and Wyatt Hendrickson (125 kg) both received No. 2 seeds in the senior division. Hendrickson captured a U23 World championship in 2023, and Hamiti is widely considered one of the top contenders at 79 kilograms despite limited freestyle experience over the last few years. Another Cowboy to watch is 2021 World silver medalist Daton Fix, who is also seeded second in a loaded 61-kilogram field and looking to make his third Senior World Team. Fix was an NCAA All-American and Big 12 champion in all five seasons of his collegiate career.
Four-time NCAA All-American Dustin Plott enters the weekend as the No. 5 seed at 92 kilograms, while the 86-kilogram bracket is full of Cowboys between seventh-seeded Brayden Thompson, Jersey Robb and Benjamin Mower. Seventh-seeded Carter Young and Cutter Sheets also check in at 65 and 70 kilograms, respectively, following 2025 seasons in which they both played important roles throughout the dual schedule.
Additionally, three other members of the Cowboy Regional Training Center are joining the senior division in top-seeded Joey McKenna (65 kg), second-seeded Zahid Valencia (86 kg) and fourth-seeded Gary Traub (97 kg).
A dozen more Cowboys will be wrestling in the U20 freestyle division as well, including JJ McComas (61 kg), Kolter Burton (65 kg), Colin Young (74 kg) and Cody Merrill (92 kg), who all utilized their redshirt during the 2025 campaign. Burton and Young earned their first career dual starts throughout the season, while Merrill and McComas combined for a 22-4 record in open tournaments.
The eight remaining athletes in the U20 division are all incoming freshmen, seven of which cracked the top 100 in FloWrestling's latest Class of 2025 Big Board. Leading the way is Stillwater native LaDarion Lockett, who held the top spot at 175 pounds and is registered at 74 kilograms this weekend. Also set for action is Landon Robideau (70 kg) and Sergio Vega (65 kg), the fifth- and seventh-ranked recruits in the 2025 class. Rounding out the group is Ronnie Ramirez (57 kg), Ishmael Guerrero (70 kg), Beau Hickman (70 kg), Ethan Teague (79 kg), and Austin Johnson (97 kg).
The U.S. Open starts Wednesday, April 23, however, no Cowboys will take the mat until Friday morning when the senior men's freestyle competition begins. The U20 brackets kick off the following morning and run through Sunday afternoon. Fans can follow along with streaming options on FloWrestling.org, results on usabracketing.com and live updates from @CowboyWrestling on the X app.
Competition Schedule (All CT)
Friday, April 25
12 p.m. – SR MFS Preliminaries, Quarterfinals and Consolations
6 p.m. – SR MFS Semifinals and Consolations
Saturday, April 26
12 p.m. – SR MFS Consolations and Medal Matches, U20 FS Preliminaries and Consolations
6 p.m. – U20 FS Preliminaries and Consolations
8 p.m. – SR MFS Championship Finals
Sunday, April 27
12 p.m. – U20 FS Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Consolations
4 p.m. – U20 FS Championship Finals and Medal Matches
In the senior freestyle division, each weight's champion will earn a spot at this summer's Final X, where a best-of-three series will be contested to determine the U.S. representative at the 2025 Senior World Championships. For those who don't win this weekend, they will have one more shot to earn a Final X berth at the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament next month. The only exceptions to that come at 57 and 61 kilograms, where a returning World/Olympic medalist has already accepted their bid to Final X and left just one spot remaining in the best-of-three series.
Similarly, every U20 champion at the U.S. Open earns automatic qualification into the best-of-three finals at the U20 World Team Trials in June. A win there would then seal the Team USA spot for the 2025 U20 World Championships.
Fresh off their NCAA titles last month, Dean Hamiti Jr. (79 kg) and Wyatt Hendrickson (125 kg) both received No. 2 seeds in the senior division. Hendrickson captured a U23 World championship in 2023, and Hamiti is widely considered one of the top contenders at 79 kilograms despite limited freestyle experience over the last few years. Another Cowboy to watch is 2021 World silver medalist Daton Fix, who is also seeded second in a loaded 61-kilogram field and looking to make his third Senior World Team. Fix was an NCAA All-American and Big 12 champion in all five seasons of his collegiate career.
Four-time NCAA All-American Dustin Plott enters the weekend as the No. 5 seed at 92 kilograms, while the 86-kilogram bracket is full of Cowboys between seventh-seeded Brayden Thompson, Jersey Robb and Benjamin Mower. Seventh-seeded Carter Young and Cutter Sheets also check in at 65 and 70 kilograms, respectively, following 2025 seasons in which they both played important roles throughout the dual schedule.
Additionally, three other members of the Cowboy Regional Training Center are joining the senior division in top-seeded Joey McKenna (65 kg), second-seeded Zahid Valencia (86 kg) and fourth-seeded Gary Traub (97 kg).
A dozen more Cowboys will be wrestling in the U20 freestyle division as well, including JJ McComas (61 kg), Kolter Burton (65 kg), Colin Young (74 kg) and Cody Merrill (92 kg), who all utilized their redshirt during the 2025 campaign. Burton and Young earned their first career dual starts throughout the season, while Merrill and McComas combined for a 22-4 record in open tournaments.
The eight remaining athletes in the U20 division are all incoming freshmen, seven of which cracked the top 100 in FloWrestling's latest Class of 2025 Big Board. Leading the way is Stillwater native LaDarion Lockett, who held the top spot at 175 pounds and is registered at 74 kilograms this weekend. Also set for action is Landon Robideau (70 kg) and Sergio Vega (65 kg), the fifth- and seventh-ranked recruits in the 2025 class. Rounding out the group is Ronnie Ramirez (57 kg), Ishmael Guerrero (70 kg), Beau Hickman (70 kg), Ethan Teague (79 kg), and Austin Johnson (97 kg).
The U.S. Open starts Wednesday, April 23, however, no Cowboys will take the mat until Friday morning when the senior men's freestyle competition begins. The U20 brackets kick off the following morning and run through Sunday afternoon. Fans can follow along with streaming options on FloWrestling.org, results on usabracketing.com and live updates from @CowboyWrestling on the X app.
Competition Schedule (All CT)
Friday, April 25
12 p.m. – SR MFS Preliminaries, Quarterfinals and Consolations
6 p.m. – SR MFS Semifinals and Consolations
Saturday, April 26
12 p.m. – SR MFS Consolations and Medal Matches, U20 FS Preliminaries and Consolations
6 p.m. – U20 FS Preliminaries and Consolations
8 p.m. – SR MFS Championship Finals
Sunday, April 27
12 p.m. – U20 FS Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Consolations
4 p.m. – U20 FS Championship Finals and Medal Matches
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