Big 12 Weekly Recap (2/20/2024)

While some Big 12 dual seasons were already finished as of this week, that didn’t stop a majority of the teams from getting in some competitive final matches. Missouri came back 2-0 after their trip to the Dakota’s, but South Dakota State made it more than interesting. Oklahoma State dominated the Sooners for their 19th consecutive Bedlam win. Wyoming and Utah Valley both won a handful of brackets at the Cowboy Shootout. With SDSU vs NDSU, OK State vs Iowa, and Missouri vs UNI/ISU on the remaining schedule, there are some excellent duals coming up in the final week before conferences. 

Air Force (Overall: 5-7; Conference: 2-6): Dual Results

The Falcons hosted Senior Day against Northern Colorado for their last dual but lost 32-12. Air Force was missing Sam Wolf at 184 but got wins from Garrett Kuchan, Giano Petrucelli, and Wyatt Hendrickson led the way with three wins. Hendrickson got his 14th pin of the season against Andrew Blackburn-Forst and finished his career in duals with an impressive 36-2 dual record with his last dual loss coming in 2021. On top of that, 33 of those wins came by bonus points and 23 were pins. 

Next Up: Big 12 Championships

California Baptist (Overall: 6-10; Conference: 1-6): Dual Results

The Lancers doubled their dual wins from 2023 with a 2-0 weekend against Cal State Bakersfield and Hofstra. They beat CSUB 31-7 and Hofstra by a score of 29-10. They won 15 out of 20 matches and saw Darren Green, Dayne Morton, and Nathan Haas all go 2-0 on the weekend. Seven of the team’s matches came by bonus with one fall, two techs, and four majors. The team’s 31 points against CSUB is the most they’ve scored in a dual against a Division I opponent since making the move. 

Next Up: California Baptist travels to Orem, UT for a season finale dual against Utah Valley on February 24th. 

Iowa State (Overall: 12-2; Conference: 5-1): No Competition. 

Next Up: Iowa State hosts Missouri on February 25th for a Big 12 finale. 

Missouri (Overall: 10-2; Conference: 6-1): Dual Results (NDSU) | Dual Results (SDSU)

The Tigers rebounded from two consecutive losses with wins over the Dakota schools. Missing Kade Moore and Logan Gioffre they took out NDSU 32-6 then had to make a comeback against SDSU for a 21-19 win. Noah Surtin went 2-0 with major decisions, including over Tanner Jordan, a win with significant seeding implications. Josh Edmond majored ranked Gavin Drexler of NDSU before squeaking out a 3-2 win over backup Caleb Gross at SDSU. Brock Mauller, Keegan O’Toole, and Zach Elam also went 2-0 on the weekend. SDSU got big wins at 174 and 184 before a momentous pin by Tanner Sloan over Rocky Elam put the Tigers needing at least a tech for the win as the Jackrabbits had criteria. Zach Elam was ready to head back to Columbia as he cradled and pinned Luke Rasmussen in :33 seconds for the team win. 

Next Up: Missouri finishes their season with duals against Northern Iowa (February 23rd) and Iowa State (February 25th). 

North Dakota State (Overall: 3-10; Conference: 2-5): Dual Results

The Bison dropped a 32-6 dual to Missouri over the weekend but had some bright spots. Max Petersen continues to impress as a redshirt freshman and beat Joel Mylin 4-2 and Spencer Mooberry got a solid 5-1 win over Jesse Cassatt for some team points. Even in losses, NDSU had solid moments. Henningson scored two takedowns on Noah Surtin, true freshman Boeden Greenley kept it close with Brock Mauller, and Devon Dawson scored an impressive first takedown on Zach Elam.

Next Up: NDSU takes on SDSU on February 25th for an always fun dual finale. 

Northern Colorado (Overall: 10-5; Conference: 3-4): Dual Results

The Bears matched their conference dual wins from last season with a 32-12 win over Air Force. The team got a hot start from Stevo Poulin and Dom Serrano who scored a pin and tech respectively. Vinny Zerban, Branson Britten, and Xavier Vasquez got in on the bonus points as well with a tech, a major, and a pin. Zerban is now 21-0 on the season with an impressive 81% bonus rate and likely locked up the top seed with another conference win. 

Next Up: Big 12 Championships

Northern Iowa (Overall: 6-6; Conference: 5-2): No Competition.

Next Up: The Panthers host Missouri on February 23rd and Wisconsin on February 25th.

Oklahoma State (Overall: 14-0; Conference: 8-0): Dual Results

The Cowboys beat Oklahoma 34-9 for their 19th consecutive win in Bedlam. The team started quickly with first-period pins from Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison along with a tech from Daton Fix. Dustin Plott and Luke Surber both got tech falls, while Teague Travis majored Jared Hill. They did drop upset a few bouts with Jordan Williams, Brayden Thompson, and Konner Doucet losing close matches. With Iowa coming up, OSU is looking to stay undefeated for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2021 season. They went 15-0 in 2019 as well, the Cowboys won trophies in both of those years so it could bode well for March. 

Next Up: Oklahoma State takes on Iowa at home on February 25th.

Oklahoma (Overall: 5-7; Conference: 2-6): Dual Results

The Sooners got blown out in their dual finale but got three big upset wins. Normal starters Conrad Hendriksen, Jared Hill, Cael Carlson, and Giuseppe Hoose dropped matches by bonus points. Willie McDougald beat Jordan Williams for the second time this season, Tate Picklo reversed a 9-0 major loss to a sudden victory win over Brayden Thompson, and Josh Heindselman beat Konner Doucet in their first match that didn’t go to rideouts. The score was lopsided but those three plus the potential of Stephen Buchanan in March should make things positive for the Sooners. 

Next Up: Oklahoma and Oklahoma State compete in their second Bedlam of the year on February 18th, this time in Stillwater. 

South Dakota State (Overall: 12-4; Conference: 6-2): Dual Results

The Jackrabbits came close but dropped a 21-19 dual against Missouri. They took advantage of a shorthanded Mizzou with Derrick Cardinal and Alek Martin getting strong wins. Cade DeVos beat Peyton Mocco, avenging an NCAA bloodround loss from last season. Bennett Berge hit a big move to score a win over Colton Hawks, while Tanner Sloan may have hit the move of the weekend with a pancake while down 3-0. He put Rocky Elam on his back for the second-period pin and second win in a row against Elam. Unfortunately, a quick pin at heavyweight cut the lead quickly. Clay Carlson wasn’t in the dual, instead going 3-0 at the Cowboy Shootout to try and get matches for allocations. 

Next Up: South Dakota State hosts NDSU on February 25th for their dual finale. 

Utah Valley (Overall: 2-6; Conference: 1-6): Cowboy Shootout Brackets

The Wolverines didn’t have a dual but sent 14 wrestlers to Wyoming’s Cowboy Shootout. Haiden Drury, Jacob Carson, Kael Bennie, and Jack Forbes all won their divisions. Big news also broke when it was announced that Adam Hall, NC State’s current associate head coach, will take over at the end of the season. 

Next Up: Utah Valley has a dual against California Baptist on February 24th to finish the regular season. 

West Virginia (Overall: 10-5; Conference: 2-5): Dual Results

The Mountaineers had their second-largest crowd ever at its fifth Beauty and the Beast event. They scored a 42-3 win over Glenville State, including five techs and a fall. They reached ten dual wins for the second consecutive season, a feat they haven’t done since 1990 and 1991. 

Next Up: Big 12 Championships

Wyoming (Overall: 7-7; Conference: 5-4): Cowboy Shootout Brackets

Wyoming hosted the Cowboy Shootout and had 21 athletes compete, including six starters. The six starters went 14-0 with Cole Brooks, Sloan Swan, Ethan Ducca, Kevin Zimmer, Cooper Voorhees, and Quayin Short. Brooks, Swan, and Ducca all won by bonus points. 

Next Up: Big 12 Championships