TULSA, Oklahoma — Missouri defended its crown as it won the 2023 Big 12 Wrestling Championship Sunday night at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Tigers scored 148 points, topping their score of 131.5 points from the 2022 Big 12 Wrestling Championship.
It is the Tigers' third Big 12 title in program history joining the squads from 2012 and 2022 as Conference champions. Oklahoma State finished second with 134 points followed closely by Iowa State in third with 131 points. Oklahoma (97.5 points) and North Dakota State (89 points) rounded out the top-five.
Missouri head coach Brian Smith received Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row, while Iowa State’s David Carr was named the 2023 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler by league coaches.
Final Round
Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) took home the first Conference title of the night with a 5-3 decision victory over redshirt senior Peyton Mocco (Missouri) at 174 pounds.
In the 184-pound weight class, Parker Keckeisen (UNI) claimed his third Big 12 title against Marcus Coleman (ISU) with a 6-2 decision victory in a bout between the top two seeded wrestlers in the weight class.
Missouri’s Rocky Elam took home the 2023 Big 12 crown at 197 pounds over top-ranked Tanner Sloan (SDSU), giving the Tigers their first individual title of the night.
In the heavyweight clash, defending Big 12 champion Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) squared off with Sam Schuyler (Iowa State) and came away with his second consecutive Conference title via an 8-2 decision. The junior accounts for both individual titles in program history.
Northern Colorado’s Stevo Poulin then claimed his first title with an 11-4 decision victory over No. 3 Noah Surtin (Missouri). The redshirt freshman became the highest seed (No. 4) to win the weight class since No. 4 David Klingsheim (Nebraska) won it in 2011.
Daton Fix, the No. 1 seed from Oklahoma State, defended his crown as he won his fourth crown in five years with a 10-2 major decision win over No. 3 Zach Redding (Iowa State). Fix is the second wrestler in Conference history to become a four-time Big 12 champion in the 133 weight class.
At 141 pounds, Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) secured his second-straight Big 12 title with a 8-4 decision over redshirt senior Allan Hart (Missouri).
Paniro Johnson earned his first career Conference title and Iowa State’s first win of the night with a 10-4 decision over Missouri’s Brock Mauller. Johnson became the third wrestler in Conference history to win the 149-pound weight class that wasn’t ranked No. 1.
North Dakota State’s Jared Franek became the third wrestler in program history to win a Conference title with a 5-3 decision over No. 2 ranked Kaden Gfeller, who was the 2022 Big 12 149-pound weight class champion.
In one of the most anticipated bouts of the night, No. 1 David Carr (Iowa State) pinned the reigning Big 12 and National Champion Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) resulting in a win decided by fall (7:38). Carr became the second Cyclone in program history to win four Big 12 titles after winning his previous three in the 157-pound weight class.
Session III
OSU’s Reese Witcraft posted a 5:00 fall in the consolation bracket semifinal over Wyoming’s Jore Volk to set up the match with OU’s Joey Prata. Witcraft defeated Prata in a 3-1 decision to secure a third-place finish in the 125-pound weight class. Volk placed fifth with a 6-2 decision over Air Force’s Tucker Owens and Utah Valley’s Kase Mauger recorded a 4:46 fall against Iowa State’s Corey Cabanban to finish seventh.
Wyatt Hensen (OU) finished the consolation bracket with a 9-3 decision victory over UNI’s Kyle Biscoglia to obtain third-place at 133-pounds. NDSU’s McGwire Midkiff placed fifth while USAFA’s Cody Phippen took home seventh.
SDSU’s Clay Carlson defeated ISU’s Casey Swiderski via a 4-3 tiebreaker to win third-place. OSU’s Carter Young and WVU’s Jordan Titus rounded out fifth and seventh-places, respectively for the 141-pound weight class.
Mitch Moore picked up two decision wins over OSU’s Victor Voinovich (4-1) and NDSU’s Kellyn March (5-0) in the consolation bracket to grab third in the 149-pound weight class. UNI’s Colin Realbuto took fifth with a 3-2 decision against Voinovich while UVU’s Isaiah Delgado finished seventh via forfeit.
Wyoming’s Jacob Wright finished with a 7-6 decision win over Iowa State’s Jason Kraisser for the 157-pound weight class bronze medal after defeating Oklahoma’s Jared Hill via a 4-2 decision in the consolation bracket semifinals. South Dakota State’s Cael Swensen finished fifth after a 5-2 decision win over Hill and Missouri’s Jarrett Jacques ended seventh with a 3-2 decision over Northern Colorado’s Vinny Zerban.
At 165 pounds, NDSU’s Michael Caliendo III came away with third place, posting a 3:31 fall against WU’s Cole Moody. Austin Yant (UNI) and Gerrit Nijenhuis (OU) finished fifth and seventh, respectively.
In the 174-pound weight class, Cade DeVos garnered third with wins over OU’s Tate Picklo and UVU’s Demetrius Romero. Picklo ended the tournament fifth while West Virginia’s Scott Joll finished seventh with a 7-4 decision over ISU’s Julien Broderson.
Oklahoma State’s Travis Wittlake and Luke Surber were third-place finishers in the 184 and 197 pound weight classes, respectively. Wittlake earned an 8-3 decision over Missouri’s Colton Hawks while Surber achieved an 8-2 decision over NDSU’s Owen Pentz.
To conclude the consolation bracket, Missouri’s Zach Elam came away with a 10-4 decision against UNI’s Tyrell Gordon in the heavyweight class. Konnor Doucet (OSU) and Josh Heindselman (OU) wrapped up the consolation awards with fifth and seventh, respectively.
Final Team Standings
| 1. |
Missouri |
148.0 |
| 2. |
Oklahoma State |
134.0 |
| 3. |
Iowa State |
131.0 |
| 4. |
Oklahoma |
97.5 |
| 5. |
North Dakota St. |
89.0 |
| 6. |
South Dakota St. |
86.5 |
| 7. |
Northern Iowa |
73.0 |
| 8. |
Air Force |
64.5 |
| 9. |
Northern Colorado |
50.0 |
| 10. |
Wyoming |
41.0 |
| 11. |
Utah Valley |
37.5 |
| 12. |
West Virginia |
34.5 |
| 13. |
California Baptist |
1.0 |