Cowboys Ready to Compete at Big 12 Championships
* University of Wyoming press release
LARAMIE -- The Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling squad begins postseason action this weekend with the Big 12 Championships, held March 4-5 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. While competing for conference accolades the Cowboys will also be wrestling for spots in the NCAA tournament.
Tournament Coverage
The first three sessions of the Big 12 Championships will be available for fans to stream on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Sunday nights finals will be broadcasted live on ESPNU with the broadcast starting at 7 p.m. MT.
Tournament Schedule
Saturday, March 4
Session 1: Preliminary & Quarterfinal Matches – 9 a.m. MT –ESPN+
Session 2: Semifinal & Consolation Quarterfinal Matches – 4 p.m. MT – ESPN+
Sunday, March 5
Session 3: Consolation Semifinals, Third & Fifth Place Matches – 11 a.m. MT – ESPN+
Session 4: Championship Matches – 7 p.m. MT
From Coach Branch
“We have played the underdog role all year and now is the time to flip the script. We have no pressure on us and we need to go out and put pressure on the opposition. I know we can battle hard but this weekend is about getting your hand raised.”
“These guys have really trained hard these past 2 weeks. I know they have the ability to wrestle harder than they have all year and that’s what this time of the year is all about. They are in the best conditioning of their lives and you have to trust that preparation and go out and be a buzz saw."
“We have seen the absolute best teams in the conference. We got a taste of the level they are wrestling at. You worry about a team losing confidence and learning to accept losing but I really feel our guys are at the best place mentally they have been all year. I hate saying we having nothing to lose but it’s true. We can create havoc and shake up these weight classes and steal spots but we have to believe that first.”
2022 Big 12 Championships Recap
A season ago, Missouri made a statement in their first year back in the Big 12 winning the team title running away from the rest of the field with 131.5 points. Oklahoma finished in second with 113.0 points while Iowa State rounded out the top three with 110 points.
The Cowboys capped off the tournament with four placers and three NCAA automatic qualifiers. One of those wrestlers was Jacob Wright who had a career best finish of third at 157 pounds to punch his ticket to the NCAA tournament. Hayden Hastings also earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament after finishing sixth at 174 pounds.
As a team the, Cowboys finished the 2022 Big 12 Championships in ninth with 57.5 points finishing ahead of Air Force, Northern Colorado and Utah Valley.
This season for the second straight year there will also be a new team competing in the Big 12 Championships as California Baptist is set to make their Big 12 tournament debut after going 1-6 in Big 12 duals this season.
Regular Season Recap
In a season full of tough tests for Wyoming, the Cowboys found their stride in the final three duals of the season picking up a 26-6 win over Utah Valley along with having two gritty outings against Northern Colorado and Oregon State. In that stretch, eight of the Cowboy starters picked up at least on win with six Pokes winning two of their final three matches during the regular season.
The Cowboys have also had success at tournaments this season finishing second in the team race at the Reno Tournament of Champions behind the efforts of Hayden Hastings (174) and Jacob Wright (157) who both captured individual titles while Cole Moody (165) finished in second.
Weight-by-Weight Previews
125 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Jore Volk, 21-7, No. 2 pre-seed
2022 Champion: Killian Cardinale (West Virginia)
NCAA Allocations: 6
133 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Garrett Ricks, 14-14
2022 Champion: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)
NCAA Allocations: 6
141 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Job Greenwood, 11-6
2022 Champion: Andrew Alirez (Northern Oklahoma)
NCAA Allocations: 7
149 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Chase Zollmann, 12-17
2022 Champion: Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State)
NCAA Allocations: 7
157 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Jacob Wright, 15-4, No. 6 pre-seed
2022 Champion: David Carr (Iowa State)
NCAA Allocations: 7
165 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Cole Moody, 14-12
2022 Champion: Keegan O’Toole (Missouri)
NCAA Allocations: 8
174 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Hayden Hastings, 12-4
2022 Champion: Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State)
NCAA Allocations: 6
184 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Quayin Short, 16-12
2022 Champion: Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)
NCAA Allocations: 4
197 pounds
Wyoming Starter: Tyce Raddon, 7-12
2022 Champion: Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming)
NCAA Allocations: 6
Heavyweight
Wyoming Starter: Terren Swartz, 11-12
2022 Champion: Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)
NCAA Allocations: 8
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