Spratley Exorcises Robinson Demons — OSU Wrestling Posts 17-3 Record in Day One at NCAAs

Midway through his second round bout, Troy Spratley found himself in peril.

Trailing 12th-seeded Vincent Robinson 4-0, the weight of the moment built upon itself. As the seconds on the match clock ticked away, pressure mounted. And Spratley knew it.  

But Spratley, Oklahoma State’s fifth-seeded 125-pound wrestler, had been in this situation before. In a rematch of the 125-pound title match of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships, Spratley had two options — succumb to the pressure, or embrace it and alter the narrative.

So, as Robinson dove in for a single-leg shot, Spratley chose the latter.

“My teammates, they always tell me I’m the best when they get to my legs,” Spratley said. “I just felt like it was there.”

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With Robinson’s arms wrapped around his left leg, Spratley countered. Moments later, he utilized a Jonesy Tilt move and placed Robinson against the mat for a takedown. 

But he wasn’t done.

Spratley tilted Robinson closer and closer, until his back was firmly against the mat. Four nearfall points ensued, and by then, Spratley had attained momentum and a 7-5 advantage he wouldn’t relinquish.

Spratley’s defense did the rest, as he cruised to a 8-5 decision against Robinson, clinching a spot in the 125-pound quarterfinals and ending a three-match skid to Robinson dating back to January 2025. 

“I feel like previously, I just never really took that opportunity and made him pay for it,” Spratley said. “Right there, I showed that I can go get one.”

Spratley will open the third session against fourth-seeded Sheldon Seymour of Lehigh for a chance at the semifinals. Seymour won’t be an easy task, which Spratley and coach David Taylor both acknowledged. But for now, at least, Spratley can find solace in him overcoming an obstacle that hindered his path to an elusive crown so often in years past. 

“I think Troy has been wrestling really well lately and keeping the momentum going (for the team),” Taylor said. “That match, it started off not great for him. He got taken down (early) and then he just found a way. I just think he’s a team guy, and I think sometimes when the team is important, you find a way to do it. And I felt like that’s what kind of happened.”

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No shortage of offense for the Cowboys

Spratley’s pair of wins was only a foreshadowing of what was to come for OSU.

Top-seeded freshman Jax Forrest cruised to two bonus-point wins. The first, a pin of OU’s Carter Schmidt that took less than 2 minutes to finalize in the first round. The second, a 16-1 tech fall against 17th-seeded TK Davis of Gardner-Webb. The latter took only 1:16 to complete.

Second-seeded freshman Sergio Vega followed suit of Forrest, pinning 15-seed Elijah Griffin of Rider in the third period of his second-round bout. Overall, OSU clinched six bonus-point wins, with the only other coming from Spratley and Cody Merrill at 197 against 26-seed Ben Vanadia of Purdue in the first round — an 18-3 tech fall. The Cowboys went 17-3 on the day, sending seven wrestlers to Friday’s quarterfinal round. The lone exceptions came from 5-seed Dee Lockett at 165, 8-seed Alex Facundo at 174 and 22-seed Zack Ryder at 184, each of whom will compete in the consolation second round.

“It was a good day,” Taylor said. “There’s ups and downs in the national tournament. We’ve got 10 guys wrestling tomorrow and we’ve got to refocus and get ready to go.”

Still, Taylor emphasized the vitality behind stretching scores and aiming for even more bonus-point wins. Which becomes all the more important if the Cowboys wish to chase Iowa and Nebraska to cement a second-straight top-three finish in nationals.

“I don’t think there were any surprises,” Taylor said. “I just think that you’ve got to be ready here. You’ve got to be ready, you’ve got to be present and you’ve got to wrestle seven hard minutes. These (tournaments) are the beast.”

Dee Lockett’s loss might hurt in the long run

For a moment, it appeared as if Lockett would escape with a win. 

But how things change. Instead, the worst-case scenario transpired, as Taylor swiftly shifted from euphoric to apoplectic watching nearby. 

Tied at 1 with 12-seed Cesar Alvan of Columbia midway through sudden victory, Lockett dove for a single-leg shot. Both wrestlers exerted immense force, with Lockett briefly gaining the edge. He lifted Alvan from the ground and went for a body-slam takedown. However, as both wrestlers hit the mat, Lockett slid off Alvan, ending up in a precarious position shortly after.

Moments later, Alvan gained the edge, placing Lockett’s shoulders firmly against the mat.

Pin. 

The slap of the mat-side official sent the arena into a frenzy. All while Lockett rose from the mat, sulking in anguish. 

Lockett finished the regular season with only one loss, which came against Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo on Feb. 22. He’s since dropped two bouts, including Thursday’s defeat to Alvan.

Taylor noted how Lockett is just a freshman, and will only improve upon his first-year blemishes moving forward. Long term, however, Lockett’s loss might retrospectively put a dent in OSU’s stake within the team race.

“Every outside person has an opinion about Dee, but he’s our guy,” Taylor said. “We love him. And that’s a tough loss for him. He’s just gotta refocus for tomorrow. That’s life and that’s maturity. And I think that’s what we’re gonna see tomorrow from him. So, that’s a tough one for him, but he’s gonna come back tomorrow and be ready to go.”

Through one day at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships at Rocket Mortgage Field House in Cleveland, OSU sits in fourth place in the team race with 25 points, trailing first-place Penn State by 15.5, second-place Nebraska by 2 and third-place Iowa by 0.5. While the Nittany Lions are making easy work of the field and inch closer to a fifth-straight team title as the tournament progresses, another top-three finish is within reach for the Cowboys.

Team Standings After Session 2 (Top 10)

1. Penn State - 40.5
2. Nebraska - 27.0
3. Iowa - 25.5
4. Oklahoma State - 25.0
5. Ohio State - 23.0
6. Iowa State - 21.5
7. Arizona State - 17.0
8. Stanford - 15.0
T-9. Cornell - 14.0
T-9. Michigan - 14.0
T-9. Virginia Tech - 14.0

Second Round Results

125: No. 5 Troy Spratley (OSU) dec. No. 12 Vincent Robinson (NCST), 8-5
133: No. 1 Jax Forrest (OSU) TF No. 17 T.K. Davis (GW), 16-1, 2:03
141: No. 2 Sergio Vega (OSU) fall No. 15 Elijah Griffin (RID), 6:12
149: No. 8 Casey Swiderski (OSU) MD No. 9 David Evans (UVU), 14-4
157: No. 5 Landon Robideau (OSU) dec. No. 21 Charlie Millard (MINN), 7-3
165: No. 12 Cesar Alvan (COL) fall No. 5 LaDarion Lockett (OSU), SV-1, 8:04
174: No. 9 Beau Mantanona (MICH) dec. No. 8 Alex Facundo (OSU), 7-3 
184: No. 6 Eddie Neitenbach (WYO) dec. No. 22 Zack Ryder (OSU), 7-2
197: No. 7 Cody Merrill (OSU) dec. No. 10 Mac Stout (PITT), 2-1
HWT: No. 7 Konner Doucet (OSU) dec. No. 10 David Szuba (ASU), 4-1

Quarterfinal Bouts (Friday Morning)

125: No. 5 Troy Spratley (OSU) vs. No. 4 Sheldon Seymour (LEH)
133: No. 1 Jax Forrest (OSU) vs. No. 8 Markel Baker (NIU)
141: No. 2 Sergio Vega (OSU) vs. No. 7 Nasir Bailey (IOWA)
149: No. 8 Casey Swiderski (OSU) vs. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (PSU)
157: No. 5 Landon Robideau (OSU) vs. No. 4 Kaleb Larkin (ASU)
197: No. 7 Cody Merrill (OSU) vs. No. 15 Remy Cotton (RUT)
HWT: No. 7 Konner Doucet (OSU) vs. No. 2 Isaac Trumble (NCST)

Consolation Second Round Bouts (Friday Morning)

165: No. 5 LaDarion Lockett (OSU) vs. No. 6 LJ Araujo (NEB)
174: No. 8 Alex Facundo (OSU) vs. No. 23 Luca Augustine (PITT)
184: No. 22 Zack Ryder (OSU) vs. No. 28 Abraham Wojcikiewicz (STAN)