Virginia Tech Coach Praises Wrestler's Effort in Loss to Oklahoma State Star

Tony Robie breaks down Aaron Seidel's narrow defeat against top-ranked Jax Forrest in the 133-pound match.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Virginia Tech wrestling coach Tony Robie praised his wrestler Aaron Seidel's performance despite a narrow 10-9 loss to Oklahoma State's Jax Forrest in their 133-pound matchup. Robie noted that Seidel scored three takedowns against one of the country's best wrestlers, a difficult feat, and said the close loss would give Seidel a good gauge of where he stands as he continues to improve.

Why it matters

The matchup between Seidel and Forrest was highly anticipated, as Forrest is one of the top wrestlers in the country and a rising star in the NCAA. Robie's comments provide insight into how the Virginia Tech coaching staff views Seidel's development and performance against elite competition.

The details

Jax Forrest, a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma State, defeated Aaron Seidel of Virginia Tech 10-9 in their 133-pound clash, despite Seidel scoring three takedowns. Forrest, a standout wrestler in high school who was nationally ranked No. 1 in his weight class, has had a strong start to his college career, winning his first two matches by pin and technical fall.

  • The match between Seidel and Forrest took place on February 15, 2026.
  • Forrest and Seidel previously met at the PIAA AA State Championships in March 2025, where Forrest won 7-1.

The players

Tony Robie

The head wrestling coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Aaron Seidel

A wrestler for the Virginia Tech Hokies who lost a close 10-9 match against Jax Forrest.

Jax Forrest

A redshirt freshman wrestler for the Oklahoma State Cowboys who defeated Aaron Seidel. Forrest was nationally ranked No. 1 in his weight class in high school and has had a strong start to his college career.

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What they’re saying

“I thought Aaron outwrestled him. I thought he wrestled well, with the exception of, you know, 10 -20 seconds there where you got caught for seven. Um, you put yourself in a position against a really good guy that's tough to come back on. But, you know, he scored three takedowns, you know, which isn't easy to do.”

— Tony Robie, Virginia Tech Wrestling Coach (profootballnetwork.com)

What’s next

The two wrestlers could potentially meet again at the NCAA Championships later in the season, providing another opportunity for a highly anticipated matchup.

The takeaway

This close loss against one of the top wrestlers in the country shows that Aaron Seidel is continuing to improve and close the gap on the elite wrestlers in the NCAA. Virginia Tech's coaching staff is encouraged by Seidel's performance and believes he is jumping to new levels as a wrestler.