Big 12 Weekly Recap (11/21/2023)

Almost every team now has dual action this season, including the second conference dual of the year. Iowa State and Missouri looked like contenders against other prominent teams, while Oklahoma, Northern Colorado, and West Virginia stayed undefeated on the year. The All-Star Classic comes up on Tuesday, with #6 Izzak Olejnik, #2 Wyatt Hendrickson, #2 Tanner Sloan, and #1 Parker Keckeisen slated to compete. Thanksgiving break means a mostly quiet week to look forward to, but the biggest dual of the year is coming up with Cy-Hawk on Sunday.

#3 Missouri (1-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

#10 Iowa State (3-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

#11 Oklahoma State (1-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

#12 Oklahoma (3-0; Overall) (1-0; Big 12)

#15 South Dakota State (3-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

#20 Northern Iowa (0-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

#29 West Virginia (4-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

Air Force (2-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

California Baptist (2-2; Overall) (0-1; Big 12)

North Dakota State (0-2; Overall) (0-1; Big 12)

Northern Colorado (4-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

Utah Valley (1-0; Overall) (0-0; Big 12)

Wyoming (3-1; Overall) (1-0; Big 12)

Air Force: Navy Classic Brackets | Younes Hospitality Open

Air Force went to their second tournament of the season at the Navy Classic and came home with four on the podium. #23 Tucker Owens (125) went 4-1, dropping the finals match against #12 Caleb Smith (Nebraska). #25 Giano Petrucelli (165) also made the finals with a solid day, including a win over the top seed, #31 Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell). 

Gage Musser (184) and Nick Gonzalez (125) aren’t the expected starters, but both made the podium at fourth and sixth respectively. The team also sent a number of attached and unattached wrestlers to the Younes Hospitality Open.

Next Up: The team has the week off before heading to a stacked Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on December 1st. #2 Wyatt Hendrickson competes in the All-Star Classic on November 21st. He’ll be taking on #1 Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State. 

California Baptist: Dual Results | Roadrunner Open Brackets

The Lancers got their first dual wins of the season, dominating Division II schools Embry-Riddle and Vanguard. California Baptist won 15 of 20 matches, including eight pins, four techs, and a major. Eli Griffin (125), Nathan Haas (184), Eli Sheeran (197), and Chris Island (285) went undefeated on the day with bonus point wins. 

The team also went to the Roadrunner Open, where they came back with five titles. Eli Griffin, Hunter Leake, Emilio Trujillo-Deen (141), Dayne Morton (149), and Nathan Haas all won with a number of bonus point wins along the way. Leake had an impressive win in the finals over 2x NCAA qualifier #30 Dom Lajoie. Trujillo-Deen beat teammate and current starter Darren Green in the semis. 

Next Up: The Lancers have a lengthy break, not competing again until heading to DeKalb, IL to take on Northern Illinois on December 15th followed by a tri-dual with SIUE and Kent State in Edwardsville, IL on December 17th. Also look out for some wrestlers potentially headed to the Reno Tournament of Champions on December 17th in Reno, NV. 

Iowa State: Dual Results

I’m not sure there was a more impressive result than Iowa State absolutely blanking #27 Wisconsin in a one-sided 42-0 dual. The two teams faced off at Humboldt High School, the alma mater of Kevin Dresser. #17 Kysen Terukina (125) won the Most Outstanding Wrestler by the end after taking out #5 Eric Barnett by major 14-3, who he also beat in last year’s dual. Anthony Echemendia made his debut at 141, which allowed Casey Swiderski to enter the lineup at 149. Both wrestlers won their matches in impressive fashion, with Echemendia getting a tech and Swiderski a 9-4 decision over #14 Joe Zargo. #19 Cody Chittum (157) broke his match open with a cradle and nearly worked a tech settling for a 15-2 major. 

The highlight match came at 165, where Carr and Hamiti had one of the best low-scoring matches in this young season. Both wrestlers came close to scoring in the first period, but Carr took over from there. He got a quick escape in the second and a dominant ride in the third that almost saw him get nearfall multiple times. #22 MJ Gaitan (174) and #5 Will Feldkamp (184) sealed the dual with back to back first first-period pins before Broderson (197) and Bastida (285) put a stamp on it to complete the dual. The Cyclones matched up well, but averaging a major decision and winning all ten matches is an impressive mark against a quality Big Ten team. 

Next Up: It’s Cy-Hawk week, as Iowa State hosts Iowa on Sunday. The dual is the first one to be streamed on the main ESPN channel and has an incredible amount of hype. With how the Cyclones looked here, count me in taking them in what could be the dual of the year. 

Missouri: Dual Results | Lindenwood Open Brackets

Mizzou opened their dual season by demolishing a short-handed Arizona State team 39-6. The Sun Devils were missing #2 Richie Figueroa (125), Jesse Vasquez (141), #4 Jacori Teemer (157), and #4 Cohlton Schultz (285). The Tigers scored bonus points in every win, including Colton Hawks bumping up to 197 and getting a tech. #26 Zeke Seltzer (133) dropped a close one to #10 Julian Chlebove, and #17 Clayton Whiting (184) dominated #31 Tony Negron. No Rocky Elam, but it sounds like he is in the room and full-time training. While not the best matchups with injuries, the team was dominant in the win. 

The team also sent some wrestlers to the nearby Lindenwood Open. Cam Steed won a title at 157lbs, including a win over #27 Jalin Harper for OK State. Seth Nitzel also made the finals, including a win over OK State’s true freshman Christian Carroll. 

Next Up: Missouri stays in the Hearnes, welcoming Oklahoma on December 1st to start conference competition. 

North Dakota State: Dual Results | Daktronics Open

The Bison started conference competition, dropping a 29-7 dual to Oklahoma and former head coach Roger Kish on the road. They won two matches, but they were big wins. Landen Johnson (157) used a big move to take out Jared Hill. Adam Cherne (184) took out #19 Guiseppe Hoose by major decision that saw him score some great doubles and nearfall. Johnson is a redshirt freshman and Cherne is a true freshman, showing that coach Obe Blanc could have the team built up sooner than later. Kellyn March didn’t wrestle, a concern after having an injury default last week. The team also sent a handful of wrestlers to the SDSU-hosted Daktronics Open and had five placers. 

Next Up: The Bison take a week off and come back to take on Virginia at home on December 2nd. 

Northern Colorado: Dual Results | Black Knight Invitational Brackets

Northern Colorado stayed undefeated in duals, going 2-0 on the weekend at the Armbar at the Armory. First, they defeated Buffalo 35-6 before another dominant 44-5 score against Presbyterian. Altogether the Bears won 17 matches, including 14 bonus point wins. Stevo Poulin (125), Dom Serrano (133), Vinny Zerban (157), Derek Matthews (165), and Xavier Doolin (285) all went 2-0 with bonus point wins. 

The Bears also sent some wrestlers to the nearby Black Knight Invitational. #14 Vinny Zerban won a title and the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler award with two techs, a pin, and a 9-5 decision over #11 Chase Saldate (Michigan State). Xavier Doolin was 4th, Dom Serrano (133) and Branson Britten (184) were 5th, and Benji Alanis (149) and Franklin Cruz (197) were sixth. 

Next Up: UNC also has some time off, with the Cougar Clash tournament listed for December 2nd. Their next dual action isn’t until December 10th against West Virginia. 

Northern Iowa: Daktronics Open Brackets

Northern Iowa hit the road north for the Daktronics Open and came back with five titles. #10 Cael Happel (141) went 3-0 with bonus points, including one in the finals against Iowa State’s Zach Redding. Adam Allard (149) went 3-0 as well, including a decision win over teammate Ethan Basile in the finals that could give him the starting spot at 149. #26 RJ Weston (157) had a strong Grand View Open last week, and made the finals here as well. However, he lost to redshirt freshman Ryder Downey in what could also be a pivotal lineup battle. Young wrestlers Jared Simma (174) and Wyatt Voelker (197) also won their brackets. 12 other wrestlers finished top three. 

Next Up: #1 Parker Keckeisen defends his ranking against #2 Bernie Truax at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Tuesday. The team next has the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite on December 1-2 plus the Jim Koch Open on December 1st. 

Oklahoma State: Lindenwood Open Brackets

The Cowboys had a long break on the schedule and decided to hit the road for the Lindenwood Open with a whopping 32 wrestlers. The team dominated and came away with 15 champs between the Black (Fresh/Soph) and Gold Divisions. In the Black division, they had seven champs, including blue-chip recruits Cael Hughes, AJ Heeg, and Jersey Robb. Christian Carroll, the #2 overall recruit from 2023 competed in the Gold division, but after a major decision loss, he medical forfeited out. The starters dominated with eight titles in the Gold division, including #20 Troy Spratley (125), #6 Izzak Olejnik (165), #4 Dustin Plott (184), and #9 Luke Surber (197) bonusing their way through the brackets. 

Also notable were some of the teammate matchups. #22 Tagen Jamison (141) took out Sammy Alvarez in the finals with a 4-1 decision from a late takedown. Alvarez is expected to compete for the spot in the second semester, but Jamison looked very solid here. #26 Jordan Williams (149) beat both Teague Travis and Carter Young on his way to a title, including a dominant 15-2 major over Young in the finals in what was one of the most impressive performances of the day. Then at 157 #27 Jalin Harper was the starter against Bucknell, but finished third while Daniel Manibog made the finals. Both wrestlers lost to Cam Steed in the bracket, so time will tell who gets the start here. 

Next Up: Unless the team adds more opens to their schedule, the next event listed is the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on December 1st. This is the first time the Cowboys will compete at the event since 2000. #6 Izzak Olejnik does compete at the All-Star Classic on November 21st, taking on #4 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin). 

Oklahoma: Dual Results (Little Rock) | Dual Results (NDSU)

The Sooners went 2-0 on the weekend, including a big conference win. They started on the road against Little Rock. The team won seven matches against the Trojans, but #33 John Wiley and #13 Tate Picklo suffered surprising upsets. #2 Buchanan (197) beat #15 Little in a battle of the Stephen’s in a razor-close match. The 26-10 dual score was helped by bonus point wins from #9 Mosha Schwartz (141) and #17 Willie McDougald (149). 

The team stayed undefeated with a win at home over NDSU 29-7. Coach Roger Kish led OU to a win over his former team, taking eight of the matches. Schwartz again got a bonus point win, majoring #30 Gavin Drexler. Jared Hill and John Wiley appear to be back and forth for the starting spot, and both lost this weekend with Hill losing to Landen Johnson. #19 Giuseppe Hoose also suffered a surprising loss to true freshman Adam Cherne, and also appeared to hurt his ankle. Schwartz, Carlson (165), Picklo, and Buchanan kept the team score high with bonus point wins. 

Next Up: The Sooners head to Columbia, MO to take on the Missouri Tigers on December 1st. 

South Dakota State: Dakota Showcase Results | Daktronics Open Brackets

The Jackrabbits opened up their dual schedule with three consecutive wins over some in-state competition. They beat Dakota Wesleyan (46-4), Northern State (33-6), and Augustana (37-9). They won 25 matches, including 18 bonus point wins (seven techs, four falls, four forfeits, three majors). 

The team also hosted the Daktronics Open and came back with three titles. #26 Tanner Jordan (125), Derrick Cardinal (133), and Luke Rasmussen (285) all won their weights. Cardinal won his title with solid wins over Julian Farber (UNI) and Garrett Grice (ISU). Rasmussen didn’t get any crazy wins, but had a tech and fall to win the title. 

Next Up: #2 Tanner Sloan takes on #1 Aaron Brooks at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Tuesday. The team next has #14 Minnesota for a dual on the road. 

Utah Valley: Dual Results | Penn Keystone Open Brackets | Spokane Open

Another team to open their dual season with a win, Utah Valley took out American University 25-12 on the road. The team won seven matches with three bonus point decisions. The biggest match came at 133, where Haiden Drury beat Maximilian Leete with a 7-5 decision. Both wrestlers are currently on the ranking bubble and looking to break through the season. 

The team went on to send wrestlers to two opens, the Penn Keystone Open and the Spokane Open. Drury made the Keystone Open finals, dropping a one-point match in the finals. #17 Evan Bockman (197) finished sixth after dropping a match to #33 John Crawford (F&M) and had to medically forfeit. The team also had six other wrestlers make the podium and finished seventh as a team. The Spokane Open wasn’t the toughest competition, but the Wolverines went 28-2 on the day with four titles. 

Next Up: Utah Valley is another team headed to the stacked Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on December 1st-2nd. 

West Virginia: Dual Results | Shorty Hitchcock Classic Brackets

West Virginia stayed undefeated with a 31-7 dual win over Clarion to go 4-0 for the first time since 1993. #28 Ty Watters has been a true freshman phenom for the Mountaineers, and now has four straight pins. #24 Brody Conley took out #28 John Worthing in an overtime match. #32 Caleb Dowling (157) lost a surprising 10-0 major decision to Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, a former OU wrestler. 

The team continued with success at the Hitchcock Open, winning the team title and four individual titles. The brackets link to the “2022 Open” but the results are the 2023 tournament. #13 Peyton Hall (165), #32 Caleb Dowling (157), #24 Brody Conley (174), and #26 Michael Wolfgram (285) all won titles with eight other wrestlers finishing in the top six. 

Next Up: The team has the week off before starting conference competition with Oklahoma coming to town on December 3rd. 

Wyoming: Dual Results

Wyoming had one of the coolest events of the year by taking on Campbell on UFC Fight Pass in the “Battle in the Barn”. The Cowboys lost 23-12, but had some tough matches. #13 Jore Volk (125) had an impressive win by taking out Anthony Molton 12-5. True freshman Riley Davis (174) started in a big hole against #23 Austin Murphy, but nearly completed a crazy comeback before dropping a 16-15 decision. Ethan Ducca (184), Joey Novak (197), and Cooper Birdwell (133) all lost matches by two points or less against ranked opponents. On the other side, Cole Brooks (141), Gabe Willochell (149), and Brett Mcintosh (165) won tough one-point matches. 

Next Up: Wyoming takes the week off before heading to the Cliff Keen Invitational on December 1st-2nd.