“Competition can bring the best out in you, and sometimes bring not the best out in you,” David Taylor said on why he wants the OSU wrestlers to keep grinding on the mat. Since the Olympic gold medalist took over the Cowboys’ program as the eighth head coach, all eyes have been on Oklahoma State University’s progress. And now, as the new management waits to step into the second season, it looks like Taylor’s bold ambitions are paying off well.
The Cowboys finished the 2025 NCAA Championship in 3rd place with 102.5 points and two champions. Undoubtedly, a brilliant result for a team that has been struggling on the national stage in recent years despite being the most successful NCAA wrestling program of all time. With Taylor at the helm, the Cowboys also picked up their 56th Big 12 title. With the 2025-26 season around the corner, the Penn State alum wanted to take things to the next level. And the big gamble generated pretty stupendous results.
A couple of weeks ago, the Cowboys RTC shared on Instagram that they have been hosting the Chinese national team for shared training sessions. And tonight, it was time to put the practices to the test. In Dallas, Taylor’s boys clashed against a stacked Chinese team and came out with flying colors. The result of one of those bouts was shared via a post on X by Saturday Night Lights on July 31.
“Big-time win for Konner Doucet (Cowboy WC),” reads the caption of the social media update, as the accompanying video clip shows the heavyweight wrestler, who redshirted the 2024-25 season, grappling against his Chinese opponent en route to victory. What makes Doucet’s victory so special, you might ask. Just take a look at what the X post had to say about this: “He (Doucet) shuts out 2024 Olympian Habila Awusayiman (China) with a 3-0 decision in the Cowboy RTC vs. China dual.”
Big-time win for Konner Doucet (Cowboy WC)
He shuts out 2024 Olympian Habila Awusayiman (China) with a 3-0 decision in the Cowboy RTC vs. China dual. pic.twitter.com/lNN3mSgoqy
— Saturday Night Lights (@WrestlingSNL) August 1, 2025
Awusayiman qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 97kg weight class by defeating Magomed Ibragimov, but was ousted from the race for the Olympic gold in the Round of 16 by the USA’s Kyle Snyder. Obviously, such an experienced wrestler being shut out by an OSU senior would be something David Taylor would see as a win for the Cowboys RTC. But Doucet wasn’t the only one who made Magic Man’s day.
Ronnie Ramirez, part of OSU’s Class of 2025, also had a big win in Dallas. The youngster posted a 4-3 victory against Zou Wanhao, another wrestler who competed in the 2024 Paris Games. 2024 NCAA All-American Casey Swiderski, who carried Taylor’s flag in the 74kg weight class, took down U23 Asian Championships 5th-place finisher Shen Tao 12-1 via tech. In the 92kg bracket, Cody Merrill gave David more reasons to be happy as the former pulled off a massive 11-0 tech win against U23 Asian Championships bronze medalist Narenmanduhal.
The 86kg weight class also proved to be a success for Camp OSU as Alex Facundo, a former Penn State wrestler and the 2022 Pan American Games U20 Champion, defeated Asian Championship gold medalist Cao Nan 4-1. Goes without saying, David Taylor will be feeling pretty good about the Cowboys’ program before the 2025-26 NCAA season arrives.
And rest assured, every win matters right now, especially considering how the upcoming season is looking from initial reports.
A big morale boost for David Taylor’s squad ahead of the steep climb?
The 2025-26 season will have a number of tall hurdles for the Cowboys to jump over. Among other things, this year, the National Duals Invitational is set to make a comeback. The NCAA event has created quite a ripple in the country’s collegiate wrestling community and even made David Taylor go against his former mentor on the topic of the importance of having such an event. But it seems like the country’s apex collegiate wrestling body has agreed to Taylor’s views on the matter.
Credits – Instagram @cowboywrestling
The National Duals will be hosted by OSU in Tulsa in November. Fans can be sanguine that the competition will have a scintillating lineup, and the big win against the Chinese national team will definitely help to keep spirits high for Talor’s boys when the national tournament arrives. Furthermore, the Cowboys are set to host a ton of NCAA powerhouses in home duals in the 2025-26 season, including the likes of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Little Rock, and Iowa, along with more duals on the road.
How do you think Thursday’s big wins on the mat would benefit the team and prepare them for the road ahead?
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