Oklahoma State wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson shocked the wrestling world Saturday. He took down Minnesota’s Gable Steveson in a wild upset.
It happened at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. President Donald Trump was there to watch it all unfold.
Hendrickson grabbed the national title in the 285-pound division. Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist, had returned from a break to chase the crown.
After the win, Hendrickson shared a powerful message on X. "That just happened. Nothing is impossible when you have God by your side!" he wrote.
The U.S. Air Force second lieutenant opened up even more after the match. His faith, he said, played a major role.
"I think it's going to be a couple more days before the emotions settle down. But first, I just want to thank my family. I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for blessing me," he said. "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."
He talked about a church service that inspired him. A message about David and Goliath stuck with him all week.
"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."
He carried that story into the final. Against all odds, he believed he could win.
"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."
Hendrickson said he stayed focused and tough during the match. He never let up.
"Going out there, I was courageous. And my strength is – it worked out. I wrestled that match. I was patient. I went in with the right mindset. And off the bat I was, like, 'This isn't going to be an easy match.' Right off the beginning it was scrambles on the out. I didn't want to concede any points. That was the mindset I had to have, was to act like I wanted to be a champion and wrestle like I wanted to be a champion."
"He took me down once. But I took him down when it mattered."
After the match, Hendrickson saluted Trump. Then he shook his hand.
He said he’s now planning to serve full-time in the U.S. Air Force.