Hendrickson stuns Steveson to win wrestling title

PHILADELPHIA -- Oklahoma State's Wyatt Hendrickson stunned Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson 5-4 in the heavyweight final Saturday night at the NCAA men's wrestling championships with President Donald Trump in attendance.

Hendrickson, a transfer from Air Force, trailed in the last match of the evening until scoring on a takedown in the final minute -- the only takedown Steveson allowed all season.

Hendrickson saluted Trump after his victory. With a United States flag draped over his shoulders, he then walked over and shook Trump's hand and hugged him as part of his celebration. Trump attended the event, just as he did as a presidential candidate in 2023 when the tournament was in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"It's bigger than worlds, Olympics, anything," an emotional Hendrickson said moments after the win.

He became the first Oklahoma State wrestler to win an NCAA title at heavyweight since Steve Mocco did it in 2005.

Minnesota's Steveson, seeking his third national title, was on a 70-match win streak. The 2021 and 2022 national champion retired at the end of the 2022 event. He tried professional wrestling with WWE and performed mostly in NXT, the company's developmental brand. After his release, he tried out for the Buffalo Bills last year despite never having played organized football. He did not make the roster. He then returned to Minnesota for this season.

Steveson entered the third period with a 3-2 lead before giving up the takedown with about 20 seconds remaining. The crowd erupted when Hendrickson scored and as time expired.

The two had met once previously, with Steveson winning a second-round match in the 2021 NCAA tournament by technical fall.

Penn State claimed its third four-peat, running away from the field to claim its 12th men's Division I men's wrestling national title under coach Cael Sanderson. Only Iowa's Dan Gable has more (15).

Carter Starocci won an unprecedented fifth national title, defeating Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen 4-3 in the 184-pound final. Keckeisen was the defending champion in the class.

Starocci, whose four previous titles came at 174, kept it all in perspective.

"It means a lot to me, but as for me -- I never want to downplay the moment -- but I mean, it's always cool, but one thing that Coach Cael really instills in us, this is all just preparation for the next thing."

Penn State, just the second program to have 10 All-Americans in one season (Minnesota, 2001), scored 177 points to top its record from last year. The Nittany Lions picked up another championship when Mitchell Mesenbrink won the 165 final 8-2 over Iowa's Michael Caliendo. Mesenbrink finished unbeaten this season after losing in the national final a year ago.

Nebraska finished second with 117 points and closed out its best tournament ever with Ridge Lovett winning at 149 and Antrell Taylor at 157. Oklahoma State finished third with 102.5 points and Iowa was fourth with 81.

NC State freshman Vincent Robinson defeated Oklahoma State's Troy Spratley 2-1 at 125, and Illinois' Lucas Byrd defeated Iowa's Drake Ayala 3-2 at 133.

At 141, Ohio State's Jesse Mendez rallied from a 5-0 deficit to beat Nebraska's Brock Hardy 12-9 and claim his second straight national title. Hardy was the No. 1 seed.

At 149, Lovett toppled the defending champion, Virginia Tech's Caleb Henson, 1-0. Lovett became the first Cornhuskers national champion since Jordan Burroughs in 2011.

Nebraska's Taylor hung on to defeat Purdue's Joey Blaze 4-2.

Oklahoma State's Dean Hamiti defeated Missouri's Keegan O'Toole 4-1 in overtime to win at 174. O'Toole, the national champ at 165 in 2022 and 2023, challenged a takedown during regulation that was reversed and allowed him to get to overtime. In sudden victory, another takedown was challenged, but this time, it was upheld, and Hamiti celebrated with first-year coach David Taylor.

Iowa's Stephen Buchanan defeated Penn State's Josh Barr 5-2 in the 197 final. He has been an All-American at Wyoming, Oklahoma and now Iowa.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.