Three Mizzou wrestlers will compete in NCAA nationals on March 20 in Philadelphia
The Missouri Tigers wrestling took the mats on Sunday for the final day of the Big 12 Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Two MU wrestlers qualified for the championship round of their weight divisions and several others competed in the consolation bracket.
The Tigers (5-10) placed eighth overall at the Big 12 Championship with a score of 65.5.
Fifth-year senior Keegan O’Toole (174) has been Mizzou’s biggest bright spot this season. He has dominated since returning from an injury and breezed through his competition on Saturday.
In Sunday’s final he faced Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti Jr. (22-0). O’Toole showed a knack for ground positioning; Hamiti had some impressive escapes early, but O’Toole stayed in the fight.
The score was tied 4-4 in the waning seconds, so O’Toole decided to swing big. They were locked on the ground and O’Toole slipped around for a takedown. He drove through Hamiti’s back and got the 3 points for a stunning 7-4 victory.
O’Toole is now a three-time Big 12 champion ahead of his final run at nationals, where he’ll be seeking his third national championship (more about nationals below).
Redshirt Missouri sophomore Cam Steed (165) faced West Virginia’s Peyton Hall in Sunday’s Big 12 finals. The pair saw each other earlier this year, when the Mountaineers came to Mizzou Arena on Jan. 26. Hall won that first outing 10-8, though Steed put up an impressive fight against one of America’s top wrestlers, regardless of weight class.
The pair turned in another exciting match Sunday. This time it was centered around defense; both struggled to find positioning. Hall had a timely escape near the end of the second round to record the match’s first points and another midway through the third frame to secure a 2-0 win.
It was his 130th career victory, a West Virginia record, and gave him his first Big 12 title. Steed’s season is by no means over, though, as he qualified on Saturday to wrestle at nationals later this month.
Three other Tigers wrestled on Sunday to place in the consolation bracket. Redshirt sophomore Kade Moore (133) finished fourth in his division after scoring a win by injury in his first match against South Dakota State’s Derrick Cardinal. Moore lost to Northern Iowa’s Julian Farber, 6-2.
Redshirt sophomore James Conway (157) took down West Virginia’s Caleb Dowling for a seventh-place finish. Redshirt junior Colton Hawks (184) lost his match 11-7 to North Dakota State’s Aidan Brenot and finished eighth in his weight class.
Steed, O’Toole and Moore will compete in the NCAA Wrestling Championships March 20-22 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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