Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Sets Foundation For Taylor Era With Big Recruiting Haul – FloWrestling
The signatures are inked and the groundwork is set.
David Taylor’s foundational first recruiting cycle netted one of the best classes in the country.
Oklahoma State announced the signings of 10 high school seniors, including eight who are listed in the latest Flowrestling 2025 Big Board. The group includes three of the top six recruits in the country, headlined by coveted hometown prize #3 LaDarion Lockett, a multi-time age-group World medalist. Lockett is one of six in-state prospects in the class.
The Cowboys also pulled off two massive flips in recent months as they locked down #5 Landon Robideau, who had been committed to Minnesota and #6 Sergio Vega, a former Cornell commit.
As a whole, the group is currently ranked second in the Flowrestling Class of 2025 recruiting rankings.
Taylor said he has a “fun” class coming in.
“We were able to be pretty productive in a relatively short period of time,” Taylor said. “Those guys are setting the foundation for the future of Oklahoma State wrestling. It’s a fun class, a lot of really exciting guys that want to score.”
Cowboys Saddling Up For Return To CKLV
Last season marked the first time Oklahoma State wrestled in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in more than two decades, and it had its highs and lows. OSU had three placers with one champion and finished ninth in the team race, scoring 78.5 points.
This year, there’s plenty of reason to believe the Cowboys are capable of not only surpassing their previous team score, but winning the tournament, too. Taylor said the Cliff Keen Invitational is as tough of an in-season tournament as it gets.
“It’s a tough tournament, it’s a national [championship] tournament in December,” Taylor said. “I think it will be a good test for our team… for guys to go out and wrestle the way they want to. If you can separate yourselves, do that, because these matches are valuable in the long term.”
Oklahoma State is seeded at all 10 weights, and it appears Teague Travis will be the 157-pounder this weekend after Cutter Sheets wrestled in the Wyoming and Arizona State duals in late November.
Reece Witcraft will get his second shot at the CKLV at 133 pounds.
Taylor said it’s a good opportunity to wrestle high-level opponents early in the season, especially in a tournament setting.
“To go weigh in and wrestle one person, that’s not what wins the national tournament,” Taylor said. “To be able to string five matches together and be resilient, (does). Things aren’t always gonna go your way, I think that’s what this tournament is gonna be able to provide to our team. It just means more, the element that’s more than just yourself in a tournament, and that will play a factor this week.”
Hamiti Dialing In On Details
When Dean Hamiti got on campus, Taylor said he was already a wrestler who made the sport look effortless, and he certainly did for the Badgers. Hamiti’s talent at 165 pounds was undeniable in his first three years with Wisconsin.
But he fell short of All-American honors last season after reaching the NCAA podium in his first two years with the Badgers. Now at 174, Hamiti said Taylor has helped him learn from past mistakes and be more detail-focused.
“I would go out there last year and try to get whatever I want, kinda rush everything,” Hamiti said. “So, (Taylor has helped) kinda slowing it down and being really detailed with everything I do. (There’s) a lot of thinking.”
Each of Oklahoma State’s All-American transfers have competed in the Cliff Keen Invitational except for Hamiti. He has notable tournaments under his belt such as the Michigan State Open and the Midlands Championships, but nothing is like the Cliff Keen. Taylor said Hamiti will get a good taste of competition after starting the season with four bonus-point victories in his first four matches.
“He’s pretty well-rounded,” Taylor said. “ This weekend will be a good test for him. He’s had a relatively easy first handful of matches and this weekend he’ll get some good competitors”
Oklahoma
Woman hospitalized after house fire in northeast Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Oklahoma
Bode Sparrow commits Friday: why BYU is Oklahoma’s biggest threat for the Davis star
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
Oklahoma
OHP remembers K-9 for protecting countless lives during career
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are remembering a dedicated K-9 officer who passed away earlier this month.
K-9 Dak was born in 2014 and began serving with the OHP in 2015.
Throughout his distinguished career, officials say Dak’s exceptional instincts made a significant impact on public safety across the state.
During his career, Dak was instrumental in the seizure of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 46 pounds of cocaine, 151 pounds of methamphetamine, and 99 pounds of fentanyl.
“These remarkable accomplishments represent countless lives protected and communities made safer through Dak’s service,” OHP wrote.
Dak worked his final shift on June 3 before peacefully passing away from natural causes on June 7.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
“More than his statistics and accomplishments, Dak was a loyal partner, trusted teammate, and beloved member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. His legacy will live on through the work he accomplished, the bond he shared with his handler, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” OHP said.
-
West Virginia3 minutes agoYeager Airport director receives four percent pay increase – WV MetroNews
-
Wyoming8 minutes agoSpeedy Cow community-owned internet service goes live in Wyoming County
-
Crypto15 minutes ago14 AI Models Including Claude, ChatGPT and Grok Predict Bitcoin’s Price Outlook
-
Finance18 minutes agoG7 Recommits to Development, Investment Finance to Drive Shared Prosperity
-
Fitness18 minutes agoSocial Fitness: Why Independent Living Communities Are Vital for Healthy Aging
-
Movie Reviews33 minutes ago‘Supergirl’ review: DC Studios serves up a second less-than-super movie
-
World45 minutes ago
FACT FOCUS: Norway brought its own food to the World Cup. But not because it distrusts US products
-
Health1 hour agoDoes Metformin Help With Weight Loss? How To Maximize Your Results