Oklahoma State's Wyatt Hendrickson shocked the world Saturday night, defeating Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson 5–4 in the NCAA heavyweight finals at Wells Fargo Center.
Steveson, a two-time national champion and gold medalist at the 2020 Olympic Games, started the match with a 3–0 lead after the first period and led 4–2 early in the third. However, Hendrickson stormed back to claim his first national championship.
The broadcasters on ESPN were besides themselves calling the final seconds of Hendrickson's win.
"Oh my goodness! The biggest upset in the history of the NCAA," play-by-play announcer Mike Couzens exclaimed. "Could this be it? Yes! He has done it!"
"WYATT HENDRICKSON JUST BEAT GABLE STEVESON!!!!!" #NCAAWrestling x 🎥 ESPN/ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/3y22fGCUHw
— NCAA Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) March 23, 2025
Steveson entered the night with a career 99–2 record on the mat. Hendrickson had placed third at nationals the past two years while wrestling at Air Force.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wyatt Hendrickson Stuns Olympic Champion Gable Steveson in NCAA Heavyweight Finals.
