Something obvious should jump out if you glance at team results from the 2023 NCAA Championships. Scroll down to 18th place and you will see Air Force and Oklahoma State tied with 28.5 points. 

The Cowboys are the most successful college wrestling program in history with 34 NCAA team titles and 143 individual champions. The team’s Twitter bio sums it up best: No one — in any sport — has more. 

The Falcons have one top-10 finish, one NCAA champion, and — until this season — no All-Americans since 2003. 

Something not so obvious is that Air Force had five falls at nationals, which was second most at the tournament behind Penn State’s six. 

Or, how about this? Air Force scored the most national tournament points in program history (28.5), had the most qualifiers (five) since 1991, and posted its highest team finish (18th) during the modern era (1979-present). 

Air Force All-Americans

It was all part of a memorable season that positions Air Force as a viable option for high school wrestlers. The path to get there won’t be easy. It requires a minimum 3.3 GPA, a clean bill of health, and no peanut allergies. 

Don’t tell Air Force head coach Sam Barber that attending a service academy is a challenge, either. He will shut you down faster than a fighter pilot flying at supersonic speed.

“I’ll never call them challenges,” Barber said. “We’re a unique institution that provides a lot of other opportunities outside of wrestling that other teams don’t have. We get to be part of something bigger than ourselves and pursue excellence on and off the mat.”

Okay, Sam, but what about Name, Image, and Likeness? Surely you can’t compete financially with Power Five programs.

“Every kid out here is on a full scholarship, they get a $1000 a month paycheck, and a guaranteed job when you graduate,” Barber said. “That’s a pretty good NIL. We have NIL, it’s just not called that.”

Alright, how about a vehicle? Kids these days need to drive, Sam.

“Air Force offers a $35,000 car loan at .5 percent interest. Most guys borrow the money and invest it. Nobody buys a car with it.”

Yeah, but you aren’t getting anyone from the transfer portal. There’s no way you can keep up. A transfer would have to go through basic training before he gets started at Air Force.

“Our program is built on development, relationships, and retention,” Barber said. “Your job here is to get a world-class education, to compete at the highest level, and to grow yourself as a leader. If I’m in the transfer portal then we’re not unique.

“The idea of a service academy is unique and different. Our program believes in service, integrity, and excellence. That’s who we are.”

Wyatt Hendrickson is the spokesperson for Air Force everywhere he goes. His results at this year’s NCAA Championships provide a platform that most don’t have. Chants of “USA, USA, USA” filled the BOK Center in Tulsa every time he wrestled. 

Hendrickson finished third at nationals by winning all five of his matches by bonus points (3 falls and 2 major decisions). He’s also a two-time Big 12 champion, a two-time Most Dominant Wrestler of the Year recipient, and the first All-American in program history since Kevin Hoy reached the finals in 2003. 

And he has one more year of eligibility. 

“Wyatt talks about our program being a mission first and value-based organization,” Barber said. “He talks about his passion for service and the core values of the Air Force Academy. When we call recruits and say we’re from the United States Air Force Academy they will say, ‘Oh yeah, I remember watching your heavyweight this year.’

“We’ve had the best fundraising here that we’ve ever had. That’s the thing with Wyatt. It’s a lot more exposure and he’s shined a light on who we are.”

Although Hendrickson is the face of the program, Barber is adamant that the team’s 18th-place finish wasn’t a solo effort. Cody Phippen scored 5.5 points — including two falls — and Tucker Owens won two matches.

Barber also praises NCAA qualifiers Sam Wolf and Dylan Martinez for their gutsy performances. Wolf dislocated his shoulder four times during the season and Martinez thought his season was over at the Big 12 Championships. 

Martinez went 0-2 but a wrestler from Wyoming was called for flagrant misconduct and got kicked out of the tournament. Seven 149-pound wrestlers qualified for nationals so Martinez wrestled back for true eighth, which positioned him for an at-large bid to nationals. 

It was all part of a magical season that sent the Falcons soaring. 

“We’re here for the pureness of the transformational value of sport,” Barber said. “Wrestling was always supposed to be a vehicle and a tool to help young people learn life skills that will grow them for future opportunities in their lives. It wasn’t supposed to be the end game.

“This is a transformational athletic experience. It’s not transactional.”