NCAA wrestling -- Penn St. wins again; Hendrickson stuns Steveson - ESPN

PHILADELPHIA — Oklahoma State's Wyatt Hendrickson stunned Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson 5-4 in the heavyweight final Saturday night at the NCAA men's wrestling championships with President Donald Trump in attendance.

Hendrickson, a transfer from Air Force, trailed in the last match of the evening until scoring on a takedown in the final minute — the only takedown Steveson allowed all season.

Hendrickson saluted Trump after his victory. With a United States flag draped over his shoulders, he then walked over and shook Trump's hand and hugged him as part of his celebration. Trump attended the event, just as he did as a candidate in 2023 when the tournament was in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

«It's bigger than worlds, Olympics, anything,» an emotional Hendrickson said moments after the win.

He became the first Oklahoma State wrestler to win an NCAA title at heavyweight since Steve Mocco in 2005.

Minnesota's Steveson, seeking his third national title, was on a 70-match win streak. The 2021 and 2022 national champion retired at the end of the 2022 event. He tried professional wrestling with WWE and performed mostly in NXT, the company's developmental brand. After his release, he tried out for the Buffalo Bills last year despite never having played organized football. He did not make the roster. He then returned to Minnesota for this season.

Steveson entered the third period with a 3-2 lead before giving up the takedown with about 20 seconds remaining. The crowd erupted when Hendrickson scored and as time expired.

The two had met once previously, with Steveson winning a second-round match in the 2021 NCAA tournament by technical fall.

Penn State claimed its third four-peat, running away from the field to claim its 12th men's