A trio of former Stillwater High School wrestling teammates are now wrestling together at Oklahoma State University.

D1 collegiate wrestling teammates J.J. McComas, Cael Hughes and Sam Smith were all a part of the 3-time Oklahoma team state championships. All three guys were coached by Stillwater Wrestling head coach Ethan Kyle.

“After spending three to four years with these guys as Pioneers, I remember a tremendous amount of leadership and dedication to the sport,” Coach Kyle said. “That’s just an explanation of where they are today.”

While in high school, they all had a lot of success. Hughes was a 4-time state champion and graduated high school as the number one wrestler in the country at his weight class of 132 pounds.

“Stillwater High School helped me receive an education and practice wrestling with a great team,” Hughes said. Hughes is predicted to start this season as a redshirt freshman for the Cowboys at 133 pounds.

“The biggest difference between college and high school so far is just the amount of responsibility that comes with being on your own,” he said. Hughes had a 4.0 last year at Oklahoma state as a freshman.

McComas was a 2-time state champion and was ranked 4th in the country last year at 132 pounds.

“My favorite memory was winning our first team state title as a freshman,” McComas said.

McComas was a kid who moved to Stillwater in 8th grade to get better partners and training. He was one of the only wrestlers in Oklahoma who beat Hughes in elementary, so they were perfect partners to help each other get better.

“Coach Kyle helped me grow mentally,” McComas said. “I always had the skills and determination to be a top wrestler in the country, but he helped me break through tough mentally.”

Smith was a 1-time state champion but only got to wrestle at high school state three times because the depth of the team was so deep. He and Hughes were both at the same weight class their freshman year and were both predicted to win state, but teams can only send one person per team to state.

Smith graduated the same year as Hughes and will wrestle this year at 125 pounds as a redshirt freshman. He redshirted last year and won one match at the Missouri dual.

“Stillwater High School helped me develop by pushing me athletically and academically, especially in the wrestling aspect,” Smith said. “We always had tough practices and workouts that helped get me ready for college-level workouts.”