LaDarion Lockett Wins U20 Title at U.S. Open

LAS VEGAS – Incoming Oklahoma State freshman LaDarion Lockett bested the 74-kilogram field to win a U20 title at the CLAW U.S. Open Championships on Sunday as the Cowboys wrapped up a successful weekend of competition.

With the win, Lockett earned automatic qualification into the best-of-three finals at this June's U20 World Team Trials. Another victory there would then make Lockett the U.S. representative at the 2025 U20 World Championships.

Lockett put together a 6-0 record throughout the weekend and dominated his way to the championship match, winning each of his first five bouts via technical fall. In the finals, Lockett secured a four-point move with under a minute remaining to defeat Penn State's Joe Sealey by a score of 5-1.

At 92 kilograms, freshman Cody Merrill nearly added another title but came up just short in the finals to Connor Mirasola, 5-1. Merrill was impressive as he battled to the championship match, stringing together two technical falls and two pins. The Cowboys also received strong performances from incoming freshmen Landon Robideau (70 kg) and Ronnie Ramirez (57 kg), who finished third and fourth, respectively.

On Saturday, Cowboy RTC athletes Wyatt Hendrickson, Zahid Valencia and Joey McKenna were each victorious on the senior level, giving the program four total champions across both divisions.

U20 Freestyle Division
Ronnie Ramirez, 57 kg (Fourth)
Round 1: Ronnie Ramirez VSU Matthew Marlow, 10-0, 1:42
Round of 64: Ronnie Ramirez VPO1 Vincent Kilkeary, 5-2
Round of 32: Ronnie Ramirez VSU Camren French, 10-0, 0:48
Round of 16: Ronnie Ramirez VPO1 Joseph Uhorchuk, 3-1
Quarterfinals: Ronnie Ramirez VPO1 Mack Mauger, 4-2
Semifinals: Anthony Knox VSU1 Ronnie Ramirez, 14-4, 3:51
Consolation Semifinals: Ronnie Ramirez VSU1 Davis Motyka, 12-2, 4:44
Third Place Match: Mack Mauger VPO1 Ronnie Ramirez, 5-3

JJ McComas, 61 kg
Round 1: JJ McComas VPO1 James Garcia Jr., 10-8
Round of 64: JJ McComas VSU Tas Stoner, 12-0, 1:57
Round of 32: Geronimo Rivera VPO JJ McComas, 5-0
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Khimari Manns VSU1 JJ McComas, 12-2, 1:26

Kolter Burton, 65 kg
Round 2: Kolter Burton VSU Valentine Popadiuc, 10-0, 2:32
Round of 64: Kolter Burton VSU Collin McDowell, 13-0, 2:03
Round of 32: Logan Swensen VSU Kolter Burton, 10-0, 5:36
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Kolter Burton VSU1 Kade Blume, 12-2, 6:00
Consolation Round of 16 #1: Kolter Burton VSU1 Nathaniel Askew, 13-2, 5:34
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Kolter Burton DSQ Smokey McClure
Consolation Round of 8 #1: Gabriel Bouyssou VPO1 Kolter Burton, 15-11

Ishmael Guerrero, 70 kg
Round 1: Ishmael Guerrero VPO1 Ryder Yoshitake, 4-4
Round of 64: Ishmael Guerrero VSU Michael Kersey, 10-0, 0:21
Round of 32: Kane Naaktgeboren VPO1 Ishmael Guerrero, 14-5
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Ishmael Guerrero VPO1 Nicholas Villani, 5-2
Consolation Round of 16 #1: Ishmael Guerrero VPO Tyler McKnight, 8-0
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Wyatt Medlin VPO Ishmael Guerrero, 4-0

Landon Robideau, 70 kg (Third)
Round of 64: Landon Robideau VSU1 Landyn Sommer, 12-2, 2:52
Round of 32: Landron Robideau VSU Aidan Torres, 11-0, 1:23
Round of 16: Landon Robideau VSU1 EJ Parco, 12-2, 4:04
Quarterfinals: Landon Robideau VSU Clayton Jones, 11-0, 2:11
Semifinals: PJ Duke VPO1 Landon Robideau, 8-3
Consolation Semifinals: Landon Robideau VSU Cross Wasilewski, 10-0, 1:15
Third Place Match: Landon Robideau VPO1 Jaxon Joy, 7-6

LaDarion Lockett, 74 kg (First)
Round of 64: LaDarion Lockett VSU Donavan Smith, 11-0, 0:40
Round of 32: LaDarion Lockett VSU1 William Denny, 12-2, 3:48
Round of 16: LaDarion Lockett VSU1 Caden Bellis, 11-1, 3:32
Quarterfinals: LaDarion Lockett VSU Boeden Greenley, 12-0, 2:35
Semifinals: LaDarion Lockett VSU1 Daniel Heiser, 14-4, 3:48
Finals: LaDarion Lockett VPO1 Joe Sealey, 5-2

Colin Young, 74 kg
Round 1: Colin Young VSU Jacob Blandford, 10-0, 1:50
Round of 64: Daniel Heiser VPO1 Colin Young, 10-8
Consolation Round of 64: Colin Young VFA Troy Shannon, 1:07
Consolation Round of 32 #1: Colin Young VSU Jacob Weaver, 10-0, 1:20
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Colin Young VPO1 Vincent Cabral, 8-2
Consolation Round of 16 #1: Colin Young VPO1 Isaias Jimenez, 12-8
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Colin Young VPO1 Banks Norby, 3-3
Consolation Round of 8 #1: Cameron Catrabone VPO1 Colin Young, 7-1

Ethan Teague, 79 kg
Round 1: Ethan Teague VSU Roman Gonzales, 10-0, 0:18
Round of 64: Ethan Teague VPO1 Jake Slotnick, 6-5
Round of 32: Collin Guffey VPO1 Ethan Teague, 9-5
Consolation Round of 32 #2: Ethan Teague VSU Matthew Waddell, 11-0, 3:44
Consolation Round of 16 #1: Ethan Teague VPO1 Michael Baldwin, 5-4
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Maximus Norman VSU1 Ethan Teague, 15-5, 4:44

Cody Merrill, 92 kg (Second)
Round of 32: Cody Merrill VSU Malachi Evans, 11-0, 0:41
Round of 16: Cody Merril VFA Kal-El Fluckiger, 3:47
Quarterfinals: Cody Merrill VFA Tucker Hogan, 1:01
Semifinals: Cody Merrill VSU Karson Tompkins, 10-0, 5:00
Finals: Connor Mirasola VPO1 Cody Merrill, 5-1

Austin Johnson, 97 kg
Round of 16: Quintan Morgan VSU1 Austin Johnson, 13-1, 2:15
Consolation Round of 16 #2: Austin Johnson VSU Fabian Torres, 10-0, 1:14
Consolation Round of 8 #1: Evan Grazzini VSU1 Austin Johnson, 13-1, 1:22

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Kolter Burton

Wyatt Hendrickson

JJ McComas

Cody Merrill

Colin Young

Related Videos