Big 12 Weekly Recap (2/27/2024)

The final week of the regular season came to a close with eight Big 12 teams competing. North and South Dakota State battled for the Border Bell, with the Jackrabbits coming out on top for the third consecutive year. California Baptist finished with a win over Utah Valley to cap a banner year for the second-year DI-eligible program. Iowa State and Northern Iowa beat shorthanded Missouri. Oklahoma State took on Iowa but lost 22-9 in a dual filled with tossups. 

California Baptist (Overall: 7-10; Conference: 2-6): Dual Results

The Lancers capped their regular season with a 20-17 win over Utah Valley on the road. Chaz Hallmark and Dayne Morton scored pivotal wins, with Hallmark winning in sudden victory and Morton beating 2023 qualifier Isaiah Delgado 7-6. Add in some bonus points from Eli Griffin and Hunter Leake and the team more than doubled their wins from last year. Now headed into Big 12’s they have a great opportunity to get their first DI qualifier. 

Iowa State (Overall: 13-2; Conference: 6-1): Dual Result

The Cyclones dominated a shorthanded Missouri team with a 41-3 win. They scored bonus points with Evan Frost, Casey Swiderski, David Carr, MJ Gaitan, and Yonger Bastida. Echemendia was down 7-0 after a big throw from Josh Edmond early but battled back for a big 10-9 win. Carr stayed undefeated at home with a 67-0 record and a first-period fall. Feldkamp dropped a match to Colton Hawks, getting put on his back off a counter to a big move and another takedown late. Bastida scored another statement win with a 13-4 major over Zach Elam, with takedowns in every period. 

Missouri (Overall: 10-4; Conference: 6-3): Dual Results (UNI) | Dual Results (ISU)

The Tigers made a trip to Iowa missing eight starters and coach Kendric Maple due to a mix of injuries and illness. Josh Edmond and Zach Elam both scored ranked wins, being joined by Colton Hawks. Edmond beat Cael Happel 4-3 and had a big lead on Anthony Echemendia before dropping a 10-9 match. Zach beat Tyrell Gordon in rideouts 4-1 with a turn, but couldn’t keep up with Yonger Bastida’s offense. 2023 round of 16 finisher Colton Hawks was majored by Parker Keckeisen, but avenged an NCAA loss to Will Feldkamp with a big move of his own. The Tigers are 2-4 in their last six duals but are hoping to have their full healthy lineup ready for Big 12’s. 

North Dakota State (Overall: 3-11; Conference: 2-56): Dual Results

The Bison finished their regular season on the road against SDSU for the battle for the Border Bell and dropped a 34-6 dual. They got a highlight win at 133 with Fernando Barreto scoring a ranked win over Derrick Cardinal 7-2. Devon Dawson was their other win with a 4-2 decision over Bowen McConville. Gavin Drexler, Max Petersen, and Gaven Sax all had close matches with ranked opponents as well. A tough finish but NDSU quietly has a number of wrestlers who could surprise and have a good Big 12 tournament. 

Northern Iowa (Overall: 8-6; Conference: 6-2): Dual Results (MIZZ) | Dual Results (WIS)

The Panthers had an excellent finish to their season with a 31-6 win over Mizzou and a 27-11 win over Wisconsin. There wasn’t too much to take away against Mizzou but the team did impress with bonus points in four matches. They continued their strong performance against Wisconsin as Jared Simma upset Max Maylor at 174 and Parker Keckeisen dominated ranked Shane Liegel 11-3. Add in bonus points from Cael Happel, Wyatt Voelker, and Tyrell Gordon and it was a good finish for UNI. The team started their dual season 1-3 but finished going 5-1 in their last six. 

Oklahoma State (Overall: 14-1; Conference: 8-0): Dual Results

The Cowboys dropped their first dual of the season with a 22-9 loss to Iowa at home. The team set a new season attendance record in GIA with an average of 5,871. Daton Fix capped his career with a 36-0 record at home with a 7-2 win over Brody Teske. Jordan Williams beat former teammate Victor Voinovich 7-3 and Dustin Plott beat true freshman Gabe Arnold 5-1 for OSU’s other wins. Spratley, Jamison, and Surber were all within a takedown but dropped tight matches. Teague Travis and Izzak Olejnik weren’t able to find much offense against Jared Franek and Mikey Caliendo, but kept out of bonus territory while Brayden Thompson gave up a major to Patrick Kennedy. 

South Dakota State (Overall: 13-4; Conference: 7-2): Dual Results

South Dakota State finished a strong season with a dominant 34-6 win over NDSU to lock up the Border Bell for the third consecutive year. They got pins from Tanner Cook and Bennett Berge while Tanner Sloan added a tech fall. Cael Swensen and Tanner Jordan majored their opponents while Clay Carlson and Alek Martin won tight matches. The Jackrabbits look like a strong 4th team in the Big 12 but with a struggling Missouri could be looking to make a jump to the top three at conferences. 

Utah Valley (Overall: 2-7; Conference: 1-7): Dual Results

The Wolverines dropped their final dual to California Baptist 20-17. The two split matches 5-5 but gave up bonus points at 125 and 133. Evan Bockman and Haiden Drury scored important conference wins and look to be UVU’s best shot at qualifiers. The team also got wins from Jaxon Garoutte, Caleb Uhlenhopp, and Chase Trussell. 

No Competition:

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

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

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

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

Wyoming (Overall: 7-7; Conference: 5-4)