Kansas City, Mo. -- Following a dominant performance, in which nine Cowboys advanced to the finals, Oklahoma State earned the 2016 Big 12 Wrestling Championship title. This marks OSU's fourth consecutive team title and 13th overall since the inception of the league. Seven Cowboys took individual conference titles, along with two Sooners and a Cyclone.
OSU ran away from the field with 161 points. Oklahoma followed up with 100 points even, while Iowa State took third with 87 points. South Dakota State, Wyoming and West Virginia placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the rankings with 77, 71.5 and 65.5 points respectively. North Dakota State (62.5) ended in seventh, while Utah Valley wound up in eighth with 60.5 points. Air Force and Northern Colorado rounded out the standings with 39.5 points and 30.5 points.
The championship session started with an outstanding match up as top-seeded Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) took the 125 pound title from OSU's Eddie Klimara in a 5-4 decision. The next match, between Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) and Earl Hall (Iowa State), did not disappoint, as the defending NCAA Champion Brewer earned his second straight Big 12 title with a 12-7 decision.
Cowboy Dean Heil toppled SDSU's Seth Gross, 5-3 for the 141 pound accolade, while Anthony Collica (OSU) dominated Sooner Davion Jeffries with an 11-3 major decision en route to the 149 pound title. At 157 pounds, Joseph Smith (Oklahoma State) defeated Jackrabbit Cody Pack, 8-4, to take the crown, as Cowboy teammate Alex Dieringer took a hard-fought 4-2 decision over ISU's Tanner Weatherman for the 165 title.
Iowa State's Lelund Weatherspoon won the Cyclone's only individual title of the day at the 174 pound bracket with an 8-5 victory over OSU's Chandler Rogers. Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) battled Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State) to an 8-7 triumph in the 184 pound weight class.
The Cowboys rounded out the evening with a sweep of the 197 pound and heavyweight bracket. Preston Weigel topped Nate Rotert, 4-3, and Austin Marsden defeated Tanner Harms of Wyoming, 6-3, respectively.
Oklahoma's Cody Brewer was voted Most Outstanding Performer by the Big 12 wrestling coaches at the conclusion of the championship. Brewer tallied a major decision and technical fall en route to the conference title.
Next up, qualifying wrestlers will descend upon Madison Square Garden in New York City, March 17-19 for the NCAA Championships. The conference automatically sends 36 wrestlers to the championships, while many others have the opportunity to be selected for an at-large bid.
Standings:
1. Oklahoma State - 161
2. Oklahoma - 100
3. Iowa State - 87
4. South Dakota State - 77
5. Wyoming - 71.5
6. West Virginia - 65.5
7. North Dakota State - 62.5
8. Utah Valley - 60.5
9. Air Force - 39.5
10. Northern Colorado - 30.5
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