Oklahoma State Wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson Salutes Trump After Winning National Title In Stunning Upset

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Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in recent collegiate athletics history by beating Minnesota's Gable Steveson at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. As Hendrickson was handed the American flag, he pointed toward Donald Trump and gave the President a salute as he watched on.

READ: Flying High! OutKick's Clay Travis Goes 1-On-1 With President Donald Trump On Air Force One

To say Steveson was the favorite entering the 285-pound national title bout would be a gross understatement. Not only was Steveson riding a 70-match winning streak, but he was also seeking his third national title having earned wins in 2021 and 2022. He took a year off from collegiate wrestling in 2023 to pursue the NFL and a WWE career before coming back for the 2024 campaign.

Hendrickson was able to get a takedown with 20 seconds left in the match and scored once more before the clock hit zeros. Following the takedown, the arena erupted as fans were very aware they were witnessing the unthinkable.

Overcome with emotion, Hendrickson pointed to the President and gave him a salute in an awesome, awesome scene.

Speaking with the media after pulling off the upset, Hendrickson spoke of his Christian faith and how a recent sermon he heard was something he leaned on heading into the match.

"I just want to thank my family. I want to thank my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, for blessing me," he said, according to ASAP Sports. "In that last shot, I was in on that leg and there was a little extra push behind me to get that takedown. I don't think that was by chance.

At the beginning of the week, Brandon Mason, our doctor, we went to Life Church and he was, like, ‘Hey, guys great sermon.’ I was listening to the sermon. He was talking about David and Goliath. And David had a vision of victory before he stepped on the mat.

I kind of carried that with me all week. Even though he went after Goliath and everyone was, like, 'This can't be done,' he had a mind of a champion, he had a vision of victory. Leading up to this tournament, I knew that my head had to be in the right place if I wanted to end up on top.

Going out there, I was courageous. And my strength is – it worked out."

Hendrickson plans on serving in the Air Force for the next 20 years and is currently an acquisitions officer. As a member of the World Class Athlete Program he was able to wrestle this year.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.