Oklahoma State wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson saluted President Donald Trump after he accomplished his gorgeous upset on the NCAA championship on Saturday night time.
Hendrickson, a former Air Power wrestler and present second lieutenant, shared the patriotic second with the commander in chief — who sat mat-side — when he defeated Minnesota’s Gable Steveson 5-3 to clinch the Heavyweight title.
He rendered the salute because the packed crowd inside Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Heart chanted “USA, USA.”
Draped with an American flag, Hendrickson shook palms and shared a fast hug with the forty seventh president.
“He said he was very proud of me,” the 24-year-old mentioned in his post-match interview with ESPN.
“He came here to support his troops, I put on a show for him, I wanted that national title,” the 24-year-old added.
The commander in chief arrived to a raucous crowd as he entered the sector.
He was accompanied by DOGE chief Elon Musk and Home Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
“Commander in chief right there baby. I was really excited to have him here,” Hendrickson mentioned at his post-match press convention.
Hendrickson has competed underneath the nickname “Captain America” after his profitable 4 years on the Air Power Academy, the place he was named an All-American.
Unable to make use of his fifth yr of eligibility at Air Power, he requested permission from the service academy to switch for his “COVID year” and later joined Oklahoma State’s wrestling program.
His last collegiate match pitted him towards Steveson, a two-time nationwide champion and the 2020 Olympic gold medalist within the males’s freestyle 125kg class.
The Indiana native was in charge of the match – main 3-2 with 25 seconds left – when Hendrickson modified the course of the bout.
The Cowboy bought management of Steveson’s proper leg and hopped on high of him, pushing the 2 in direction of the sting of the mat.
Hendrickson was awarded a 3-point takedown and remained atop Steveson for the ultimate seconds.
Hendrickson, who’s an active-duty second lieutenant within the Air Power, isn’t compelled to go straight into navy service simply but.
The Air Power’s permission allowed Hendrickson to stay in Stillwater, OK after commencement and prepare with Cowboy RTC to compete for a spot within the 2028 Olympics, based on Oklahoma State athletics weblog Pistols Firing.
When he retires from wrestling, Hendrickson will start his five-year necessary dedication to the Air Power.
“I’m gonna make a career out of the military regardless,” Hendrickson mentioned. “This is just part of the journey for me.”
