NCAA wrestling champion Wyatt Hendrickson grappled his way to what commentators called the “biggest upset in NCAA history” over Olympic champion Gable Stevenson on Saturday.
At the NCAA wrestling championships, Hendrickson trailed Stevenson 4-2 in the final match for the heavyweight national title. However, Hendrickson scored a takedown in the match’s last seconds, the only takedown that Stevenson – who won a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics – allowed all season.
After his victory, Hendrickson ran over to his family to celebrate, before saluting President Donald Trump who was in attendance. Hendrickson later walked over to the president, shook hands with him and hugged him in celebration, while draped in an American flag.
Hendrickson, a native of Newton, Kansas, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2024. He is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force but has spent the last year wrestling for Oklahoma State University (OSU).
After graduating from academy, Hendrickson transferred to OSU for his final year of NCAA eligibility. The Air Force approved his transfer to OSU and deferred his required Air Force service commitment.
In a post-match press conference, Hendrickson shared a bit more about his mindset heading into the match and talked about his faith.
“I want to thank my family; I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for blessing me,” Hendrickson shared. “At the beginning of the week, our doctor (and I) went to Life Church, and he said it was a great sermon.”
Hendrickson continued,
While in high school, Hendrickson received a recruitment letter from the Air Force Academy, which he initially threw away. But he said his father, Todd, changed his mind about attending a service academy. His dad once had the goal of attending the Naval Academy but was denied entry because of an eye disease.
“He was just a wealth of knowledge,” Wyatt said. “I wanted to come to Oklahoma State University. I took an unofficial visit here. But after my junior year, I realized I want to serve this great country. I want to be part of something bigger than myself.”
But as providence would have it, Wyatt got to compete – and secure a win – for OSU in the end.
Congratulations to Wyatt Hendrickson on his inspiring upset victory.
To learn more about the Christian faith, read C.S. Lewis’ classic Mere Christianity. You can also listen to Focus on the Family’s award winning Radio Theater: C.S. Lewis at War.
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