Air Force heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson (photos courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)The Air Force Academy joined the Big 12 conference in 2015, when the Big 12 absorbed the Western Wrestling Conference schools as affiliates. Since then, the school has taken some lumps at the conference tournament. They've finished last or second to last in every single conference tournament.
But sophomore heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson seems on a mission this season to change the perception of their program. Hendrickson has already tied for the highest finish at the Big 12 tournament for the Falcons. He finished third last year matching a program best set by Alex Mossing in 2019. The program has only had two wrestlers finish in the top four of the Big 12 Tournament so far with Mossing and Hendrickson.
This year he's 19-0 on the year and heads into the conference tournament as the #1 seed. Hendrickson has had thirteen falls this season and bonus point wins in all, but two matches, the entire year!
This dominant season for Hendrickson came with two tournament wins at the Southern Scuffle and David Lehman Open and bonus point wins over the #3 and #6 seeds in the Big 12 Tournament bracket this weekend.
Hendrickson has quietly elevated himself into being one of the top heavyweights in the country, but can he sustain it? This tournament is always an interesting one. If Hendrickson can maintain the momentum he's carried all season, he'll have a chance to have Air Force Wrestling on prime time Sunday Night ESPN and potentially give them their first ever conference tournament champion.
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