Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 101F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Mostly clear. Low 77F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

LaDarion “Dee” Lockett, a rising sophomore wrestler at Stillwater High, listens to coach Ethan Kyle at the 16U freestyle nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Lockett is the champion at 152 pounds.

Jason Elmquist/Stillwater News Press Stillwater High’s LaDarion Lockett tries to get the headlock on Ponca City’s Kayden Trahan during the 145-pound match in dual state quarterfinals during his freshman year. For Lockett, that season culminated with a state title.

LaDarion “Dee” Lockett, a rising sophomore wrestler at Stillwater High, listens to coach Ethan Kyle at the 16U freestyle nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Lockett is the champion at 152 pounds.

Jason Elmquist/Stillwater News Press Stillwater High’s LaDarion Lockett tries to get the headlock on Ponca City’s Kayden Trahan during the 145-pound match in dual state quarterfinals during his freshman year. For Lockett, that season culminated with a state title.

LaDarion “Dee” Lockett rose to his feet and instantly did a roundoff backflip across the wrestling mat.

When his sixth and final match ended at the USA Wrestling 16U men’s freestyle nationals in Fargo, North Dakota, Lockett had to celebrate. Only one year after leaving Fargo with two disappointing losses, he created a different outcome. Lockett, a soon-to-be sophomore at Stillwater High, was crowned the 16U freestyle national champion at 152 pounds on Monday.

“It was the best feeling in the world,” Lockett said. “... I just remember the feeling from last year when I was predicted to win it and I lost and I cried for two days. So (Monday) felt amazing.”

Although Lockett was the Pioneers’ sole champion in Fargo, he wasn’t their only representative. AJ Heeg, who previously wrestled at Edmond Memorial, competed in the junior division at 182 pounds and advanced to the finals, where he was runner-up to Connor Mirasola from Wisconsin.

As a top-seeded wrestler in a 128-man bracket, Lockett didn’t just defeat his competitors. He dominated, rarely giving up a point. After a first-round bye, he blazed through six matches with a combined score of 64-5.

Those numbers are a result of the strategy Lockett has learned in Stillwater.

“Just the way that our coaches have pushed us in our practices and the way that we’re taught to wrestle was always to go for it,” Lockett said, “and score as (many) points as possible.”

Lockett said he had two mentors in his corner: Stillwater coach Ethan Kyle and Heritage Hall coach Joe Smith, an Oklahoma State alumnus whose father is wrestling legend John Smith. Their support bolstered Lockett, but they didn’t need to give him a road map to becoming a champion. At 16, he is quickly making a name for himself with multiple trophies and titles.

In December, then-freshman Lockett surprised spectators when he won the notoriously difficult Ironman tournament as an unseeded wrestler at 144 pounds. In February, he claimed a state title at 145 pounds, playing a prominent role in the Pioneers’ path to their second consecutive Class 6A championship.

After Lockett added his 16U freestyle title to the list, wrestling reporter Seth Duckworth noted on Twitter, “We might be watching the next superstar coming up in Oklahoma.”

This summer, Lockett’s ranking reflects that rising-star status – he entered the freestyle finals at No. 10 in the country among all high school wrestlers in his weight class, according to FloWrestling.

But as he learned a year ago in Fargo, high expectations don’t always lead to victories. To achieve success, Lockett returned with a new approach and knowledge from a year of high school experience.

“This year I tried to focus on myself more and not the big picture, focus on myself one moment at a time,” Lockett said. “I would say that was probably the biggest thing that helped me this weekend.”

Match by match, Lockett advanced until he reached the finals. Competing under the spotlight with a giant USA Wrestling logo as the backdrop, Lockett stepped onto the mat sporting a red singlet while his opponent, Alessio Perentin of Clark, New Jersey, wore blue.

After defeating Perentin, Lockett proved his wrestling skills aren’t the only way he can stand out on the mat.

He showed another talent when he did the backflip, launching himself into the air and steadily landing on his feet.

Lockett said he took gymnastics lessons when he was younger to improve his coordination and balance, but the backflip was something he learned later from Jace Roller, a wrestler from Bixby.

“I didn’t learn it until I was like, I think, 10 or 11 years old,” Lockett said.

The backflip was only the beginning of the celebration. It continued in Oklahoma, where Lockett arrived at about 7 a.m. Tuesday and greeted his parents and siblings.

Lockett said he wants to make sure to thank his family and friends for their support. The group welcoming him at home included his 3-year-old brother, who already dreams of following in Lockett’s footsteps as a wrestler.

“My little brother was really happy, and he still has my plaque right now,” Lockett said Tuesday.

While Lockett’s little brother waits for the start of his wrestling career, Lockett is preparing to build on his standout freshman season. He said he plans to take some time to rest at the end of the summer before playing football and, of course, continuing to wrestle.

“I think I’m gonna just get back into the (wrestling) room and scrap and just go hard every day,” Lockett said. “There was a couple years where I could say I slacked off, but these last couple of years we’ve just been grinding in the room every day, so I think I’m just gonna keep grinding.

“It looks like it’s working. I’m getting better and better each year.”

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.

Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.

First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.