Oklahoma State University Athletics
Forrest Earns Top Seed Heading to NCAA Championships
March 12, 2026 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State 133-pounder Jax Forrest earned the top seed, and eight other Cowboy wrestlers were seeded in the top eight ahead of the NCAA Championships, it was announced Wednesday evening.
Oklahoma State is one of six schools with a representative at every weight class, along with Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa State and Virginia Tech. OSU's total of 39 qualifiers over the last four seasons is tied for the most in the country. The Cowboys' nine top-eight seeds are OSU's most since 2017.
As a true freshman, Forrest earned the top seed after his 14-0 start to his career and collected bonus points in all four of his bouts at the Big 12 Championships. 141-pounder Sergio Vega earned the second seed in his bracket following a perfect 19-0 freshman season. Forrest and Vega are the lone unbeaten freshmen in the field.
Troy Spratley (125), Landon Robideau (157) and Dee Lockett (165) are all slotted fifth in their respective brackets after Spratley took home a Big 12 title last weekend and Robideau and Lockett took second. Spratley leads the team in ranked wins this season and is the lone wrestler on the Cowboy roster who competed in last season's NCAA tournament.
Fresh off Big 12 title appearances, Konner Doucet (HWT) and Alex Facundo (174) are ranked seventh and eighth, respectively. After sitting out behind last season's Hodge Trophy winner, Doucet has tallied a 17-3 record with his only losses coming to wrestlers inside the top five.
Big 12 champion Casey Swiderski (149) was slotted eighth in the seeding after going a perfect 4-0 last weekend in Tulsa. Swiderski has won 10 consecutive contests, with his last loss coming back on December 7.
197-pounder Cody Merrill claimed the seventh seed in his bracket after his third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, while Zack Ryder (184) comes in at No. 22 after placing eighth, then medically forfeiting out of last weekend's tournament.
Seeds and Matchups:
125: No. 5 Troy Spratley (OSU) vs. No. 28 Andrew Binni (NAVY)
133: No. 1 Jax Forrest (OSU) vs. No. 32 Andrew Austin (CMU)/No. 33 Carter Schmidt (OU)
141: No. 2 Sergio Vega (OSU) vs. No. 31 Billy DeKraker (NW)
149: No. 8 Casey Swiderski (OSU) vs. No. 25 Michael Gioffre (ILL)
157: No. 5 Landon Robideau (OSU) vs. No. 28 Gavin Drexler (NDSU)
165: No. 5 LaDarion Lockett (OSU) vs. No. 28 Cody Goebel (WIS)
174: No. 8 Alex Facundo (OSU) vs No. 25 Sergio Desiante (VT)
184: No. 22 Zach Ryder (OSU) vs. No. 11 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RUT)
197: No. 7 Cody Merrill (OSU) vs. No. 26 Ben Vanadia (PUR)
HWT: No. 7 Konner Doucet (OSU) vs. No. 26 Luke Luffman (ILL)
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
March 19 – 11 a.m. – Session 1 – 1st Round – ESPN2
March 19 – 6 p.m. – Session 2 – 2nd Round – ESPN
March 20 – 11 a.m. – Session 3 – Quarterfinals – ESPNU
March 20 – 7 p.m. – Session 4 – Semifinals – ESPN2
March 21 – 10 a.m. – Session 5 – Medal Matches – ESPNU
March 21 – 5:30 p.m. – Session 6 – Finals – ESPN
*All times central
Oklahoma State is one of six schools with a representative at every weight class, along with Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa State and Virginia Tech. OSU's total of 39 qualifiers over the last four seasons is tied for the most in the country. The Cowboys' nine top-eight seeds are OSU's most since 2017.
As a true freshman, Forrest earned the top seed after his 14-0 start to his career and collected bonus points in all four of his bouts at the Big 12 Championships. 141-pounder Sergio Vega earned the second seed in his bracket following a perfect 19-0 freshman season. Forrest and Vega are the lone unbeaten freshmen in the field.
Troy Spratley (125), Landon Robideau (157) and Dee Lockett (165) are all slotted fifth in their respective brackets after Spratley took home a Big 12 title last weekend and Robideau and Lockett took second. Spratley leads the team in ranked wins this season and is the lone wrestler on the Cowboy roster who competed in last season's NCAA tournament.
Fresh off Big 12 title appearances, Konner Doucet (HWT) and Alex Facundo (174) are ranked seventh and eighth, respectively. After sitting out behind last season's Hodge Trophy winner, Doucet has tallied a 17-3 record with his only losses coming to wrestlers inside the top five.
Big 12 champion Casey Swiderski (149) was slotted eighth in the seeding after going a perfect 4-0 last weekend in Tulsa. Swiderski has won 10 consecutive contests, with his last loss coming back on December 7.
197-pounder Cody Merrill claimed the seventh seed in his bracket after his third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, while Zack Ryder (184) comes in at No. 22 after placing eighth, then medically forfeiting out of last weekend's tournament.
Seeds and Matchups:
125: No. 5 Troy Spratley (OSU) vs. No. 28 Andrew Binni (NAVY)
133: No. 1 Jax Forrest (OSU) vs. No. 32 Andrew Austin (CMU)/No. 33 Carter Schmidt (OU)
141: No. 2 Sergio Vega (OSU) vs. No. 31 Billy DeKraker (NW)
149: No. 8 Casey Swiderski (OSU) vs. No. 25 Michael Gioffre (ILL)
157: No. 5 Landon Robideau (OSU) vs. No. 28 Gavin Drexler (NDSU)
165: No. 5 LaDarion Lockett (OSU) vs. No. 28 Cody Goebel (WIS)
174: No. 8 Alex Facundo (OSU) vs No. 25 Sergio Desiante (VT)
184: No. 22 Zach Ryder (OSU) vs. No. 11 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RUT)
197: No. 7 Cody Merrill (OSU) vs. No. 26 Ben Vanadia (PUR)
HWT: No. 7 Konner Doucet (OSU) vs. No. 26 Luke Luffman (ILL)
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
March 19 – 11 a.m. – Session 1 – 1st Round – ESPN2
March 19 – 6 p.m. – Session 2 – 2nd Round – ESPN
March 20 – 11 a.m. – Session 3 – Quarterfinals – ESPNU
March 20 – 7 p.m. – Session 4 – Semifinals – ESPN2
March 21 – 10 a.m. – Session 5 – Medal Matches – ESPNU
March 21 – 5:30 p.m. – Session 6 – Finals – ESPN
*All times central
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