Forrest, Vega Lead OSU to Second-Straight Big 12 Crown

TULSA — Earlier this season, David Taylor designated the nickname “the squirrels” for his freshman wrestlers.

Eventually, he discovered the proper classification for a group of squirrels — scurry. So, he started referring to them as such, and the nickname stuck.

“That’s just how they are — that’s just their personality,” Taylor said. “That’s how they wrestle in practice and they’re their best (in) practice going into these kinds of competitions.”

What started with four swiftly expanded to six over the course of the season. As more freshmen wrestled their way into the starting lineup, their success only affirmed the nickname’s merit. Growing pains were evident early for the freshmen. But Taylor, Oklahoma State’s second-year coach, doubled down and prioritized their development rather than making a rash decision.

On Saturday, that sense of patience paid off.

Four OSU wrestlers clinched individual conference titles, as OSU secured its second-straight team title at the 2026 Big 12 Wrestling Championships at the BOK Center in Tulsa. OSU’s 176 team points fell 0.5 points short of breaking a tournament record — which the Cowboys set in 2017 — and cleared second-place Iowa State’s 144 by 32.

Of OSU's eight wrestlers to appear in the championship round, four were freshmen. Two — Jax Forrest at 133 and Sergio Vega at 141 — came out victorious.

As for the reason behind Taylor’s sobriquet for his younger wrestlers, that was apparent throughout the tournament. On Saturday, it was resoundingly clear cut.

“This is such a tight-knit group,” Forrest said. “I love wrestling with these guys. We all put in the work and work so hard to perfect our craft. To see everything pay off for us the way it has this weekend is honestly just pretty special.”

Oklahoma State freshman 133-pounder Jax Forrest hoists his "Most Outstanding Wrestler" trophy belt on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships in Tulsa. Forrest outscored his opponents 70-12 on the weekend, clinching all four victories in bonus-point fashion. – Photo by Luke Tolbert

The night started at 149, where top-seeded Casey Swiderski clashed with 6-seed Caleb Rathjen of Northern Iowa. Despite a slow start, a late takedown and stellar defense powered Swiderski to a 5-3 decision.

By then, the Cowboys had already mathematically clinched the conference title. But Taylor encouraged his wrestlers to push for more, echoing his season-long sentiment of avoiding complacency.

The ensuing four bouts didn't go ideally for OSU. Freshmen Landon Robideau (157) and Dee Lockett (165) faltered offensively in tight losses. Late near fall points doomed top-seeded Alex Facundo in a 10-6 decision defeat to Missouri's Cam Steed, the third-seeded wrestler at 174. And second-seeded Konner Doucet couldn't overcome the juggernaut that was top-seeded Yonger Bastida of Iowa State in a 4-1 defeat.

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But when momentum trended elsewhere, the aforementioned "scurry" rose to the occasion.

At 125, top-seeded Troy Spratley avenged consecutive Big 12 finals defeats with a 5-2 decision against 2-seed Stevo Poulin of Iowa State.

Shortly after, up came the top-seeded Forrest at 133.

He entered his finals match having won his prior three via tech fall. While he didn't follow suit, he earned a 15-2 major decision against second-seeded Kyler Larkin of Arizona State.

"It's just wrestling," Forrest said. "It's what I train every day, multiple times a day. Early mornings, late nights are just for times like this. I wasn't thinking about the Big 12s until a couple of weeks ago cause in my mind, this is just a stepping stone to nationals in two weeks."

To close, top-seeded Sergio Vega bested 2-seed Anthony Echemendia of Iowa State in ride-outs, punctuating OSU's fourth individual title in style.

Taylor has commended his freshman on their poise in boisterous environments throughout the season. A handful have competed on prominent stages through their youth. Forrest competed at the U23 World Championships in 2025 and the U17 World Championships in 2022. Vega at the U20 World Team Trials in 2024 with Lockett. But few have endured that to the caliber of Big 12s.

Yet, as was throughout the season, the lightweights didn't waver. Poise proved to be a virtue. And in the end, the tandem of Forrest and Vega transformed a night trending in haywire fashion to one that sent the Cowboys back to Stillwater in glory.

“It was awesome,” Vega said. “I haven’t been in one of those.”

Then Vega upped the ante late during his post-tournament sentiment.

“Keep doubting me, I love it.”

Oklahoma State freshman 141-pounder Sergio Vega celebrates his first-place finish at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships in Tulsa on Saturday, March 7, 2026. – Photo by Luke Tolbert

Doubt has fueled Taylor's young nucleus throughout the 2025-26 campaign. It's often abnormal for such an influx of freshmen to compile a starting lineup. Yet, Taylor's six-freshman lineup has made it feasible.

More than feasible.

Forrest outscored his weekend opposition 70-12, clinching all four in bonus-point fashion and claiming "Most Outstanding Wrestler" honors, becoming only the third freshman in program history to do so. Vega further displayed his ability to navigate victory in unforeseen circumstances, clinching multiple matches in tight fashion. In total, OSU six freshmen compiled a 14-5 tournament record, with Forrest and Vega accounting for an 8-0 clip.

Taylor led OSU to its second-straight Big 12 title in only his second season at the helm. Still, he's focused on the ultimate prize — a national championship. So are his wrestlers.

OSU hasn't attained college wrestling's elusive crown since 2006. Penn State's stronghold on the sport won't make doing so any easier, either, as the Nittany Lions aim for their fifth-straight team title in two weeks.

But Taylor is in it for the long run. And he acknowledged Saturday.

Which is why his decision to start developing early was so vital.

Eventually, Taylor said, his "scurry" of now-freshman will hoist the sport's Grand Prix. When that happens, his decision some pinpointed as premature will be further validated. Perhaps even praised in Stillwater for years to come.

For now, he said, he's focused on the present. The Big 12 Championships were the first step. Now comes nationals.

“We’ve seen our guys get better,” Taylor said. “Right now, I think that this is just another tournament that we did, participated in, and now we’ve got to get ready for (nationals in) a couple of weeks. We’ve got to go home and we’ve got to get rested up, get excited, wrestle with some passion and then let’s go challenge ourselves at the national tournament.

“We’ve still got improvements that we’ve got to make. But as a team, what these guys did is huge. I’m really proud of them and I’m really excited for what we’ve got coming up.”