Facundo Finding His Groove After Rocky Start — Transfer wrestler wins 174-pound title at Cougar Clash, prepares for West Virginia test

Freshman Ramirez and veteran Ryder also claim first-place finishes as Cowboys prepare for ranked matchups in Morgantown

Daniel Allen

Dec 10, 2025 - 4 min read

Oklahoma State's Alex Facundo wrestles against an NC State opponent during the National Duals Invitational Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The 174-pound transfer from Penn State started the season 2-3, with all early losses coming against top-five opponents at this event, before finding his groove and winning the Cougar Clash title last weekend. – Photo by Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Facundo Finding His Groove After Rocky Start — Transfer wrestler wins 174-pound title at Cougar Clash, prepares for West Virginia test — Oklahoma State's Alex Facundo wrestles against an NC State opponent during the National Duals Invitational Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The 174-pound transfer from Penn State started the season 2-3, with all early losses coming against top-five opponents at this event, before finding his groove and winning the Cougar Clash title last weekend. – Photo by Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Alex Facundo’s journey to Oklahoma State, in his own words, has been a “whirlwind.”

Out of high school, Facundo was a prized recruit, pledging to wrestle for coach Cael Sanderson and Penn State. But injuries and missed time resulted in Facundo’s status dwindling within the lineup. Eventually, he entered the transfer portal once the offseason commenced, in search of a fresh start.

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