Sooners Qualify Five at Big 12 Championship

Saturday, March 9

Tulsa, Okla. | BOK Center

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University of Oklahoma

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Photo by: Austin Bernard

Sooners Qualify Five at Big 12 Championship

March 10, 2024 | Wrestling

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TULSA, Okla. – Oklahoma qualified five wrestlers for the 2024 NCAA Championship via automatic-qualification at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship over the weekend.

Three Sooners, Jared Hill (157), Stephen Buchanan (197) and Josh Heindselman (285), punched their tickets to Kansas City with their performances on Saturday at Big 12s. Two other Sooners, Jace Koelzer (133) and Willie McDougald (149) would take advantage of the opportunity to secure their spots on Sunday in the early session.

"It was a combination of highs and lows," head coach Roger Kish said after Sunday''s early session. "We thought a couple of guys did some things very well and others who underperformed in some areas. At this stage of the game our focus is on preparing for the NCAA tournament."

Koelzer would start the day off for the Sooners in the 133-pound consolations. The redshirt senior, competing in his fifth Big 12 Championship, faced Northern Colorado's No. 3 Dominick Serrano in Oklahoma's first bout of the day. Koelzer scored an early takedown to stay within striking distance, but Serrano pulled away for a 9-3 decision. In his next bout, Koelzer was awarded the win via medical forfeit over Cal Baptist's No. 7 Hunter Leake to claim fifth place at the Big 12 Championship, the best finish of his career.

McDougald also needed to earn a victory on Sunday to clinch his spot in Kansas City, and he would do it in the same fashion as Koelzer. McDougald dropped his first bout of the day when he was defeated by ISU's No. 1 Casey Swiderski in a 19-5 major decision. The junior would punch his NCAA ticket later in the afternoon session, when Missouri's No. 8 Logan Gioffre medically forfeited the fifth-place bout. McDougald will compete in his second NCAA tournament after finishing 2-2 at the event in 2022.

At 157, Hill finished in sixth place after dropping both of his bouts on Sunday. The Broken Arrow, Okla., product earned his NCAA spot after clinching a berth in the semifinals on Saturday.

Buchanan went 2-0 on the day to secure a third place finish. The three-time NCAA qualifier defeated No. 7 Luke Surber (OSU), 6-2, in a consolation semifinal before holding on for a 6-4 decision over Wyoming's No. 6 Joey Novak to earn his automatic bid. OU's 197-pounder now prepares for Kansas City where he'll look to make a run at the NCAA Championship.

Up next in the evening session was Josh Heindselman, who split his bouts for the Sooners in the heavyweight division. Heindselman started the day with a 4-2 win over WVU's No. 7 Michael Wolfgram before dropping the third-place bout to Missouri's No. 3 Zach Elam in an 8-0 major decision. After earning fourth place, Heindselman will head to Kansas City with his third straight 20+ win season and a career-high win percentage (77.8%).

Cael Carlson (165) and Tate Picklo (174) also wrestled their way onto the Big 12 podium, but neither earned an automatic qualifying bid. The season-long starters will need to secure an at-large bid on Wednesday, March 13, courtesy of the NCAA Selection Committee if they want to compete on the national stage.

As a team, the Sooners finished in seventh place with 68.5 points.

UP NEXT

The five qualifying Sooners now head to Kansas City, Mo., on March 21-23 for the NCAA Championships. At-large selections will be announced on Wednesday, March 13, along with brackets for the championship.

FULL RESULTS

125

Conrad Hendriksen (12-12) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Kysen Terukina (Iowa St) 13-8 won by decision over Conrad Hendriksen (Oklahoma) 12-12 (Dec 6-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Yusief Lillie (Utah Valley) 2-12 won in sudden victory - 1 over Conrad Hendriksen (Oklahoma) 12-12 (SV-1 4-1)

133

Jace Koelzer (16-12) placed 5th and scored 12.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Evan Frost (Iowa St) 18-4 won by major decision over Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma) 16-12 (MD 12-1)
Cons. Round 1 - Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma) 16-12 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma) 16-12 won by disqualification over Garrett Ricks (Wyoming) 7-8 (DQ)
Cons. Round 3 - Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma) 16-12 won by decision over Julian Farber (N Iowa) 19-9 (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Semi - Dominick Serrano (N Colorado) 23-4 won by decision over Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma) 16-12 (Dec 9-3)
5th Place Match - Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma) 16-12 won by medical forfeit over Hunter Leake (California Baptist) 16-9 (MFFL)

141

Kaden Smith (3-7) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Tagen Jamison (OK State) 21-8 won by tech fall over Kaden Smith (Oklahoma) 3-7 (TF-1.5 5:30 (18-3))
Cons. Round 1 - Gavin Drexler (ND State) 15-9 won by major decision over Kaden Smith (Oklahoma) 3-7 (MD 8-0)

149

Willie McDougald (15-8) placed 5th and scored 12.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 15-8 won by major decision over James Emmer (Utah Valley) 9-9 (MD 11-0)
Quarterfinal - Gabe Willochell (Wyoming) 18-10 won by fall over Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 15-8 (Fall 2:11)
Cons. Round 2 - Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 15-8 won by decision over Benji Alanis (N Colorado) 10-13 (Dec 5-2)
Cons. Round 3 - Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 15-8 won in sudden victory - 1 over Maxwell Petersen (ND State) 19-10 (SV-1 8-5)
Cons. Semi - Casey Swiderski (Iowa St) 16-3 won by major decision over Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 15-8 (MD 19-5)
5th Place Match - Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 15-8 won by medical forfeit over Logan Gioffre (Missouri) 8-7 (M. For.)

157

Jared Hill (13-11) placed 6th and scored 8.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Jared Hill (Oklahoma) 13-11 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Jared Hill (Oklahoma) 13-11 won by decision over Vinny Zerban (N Colorado) 24-2 (Dec 4-3)
Semifinal - Cody Chittum (Iowa St) 15-5 won by decision over Jared Hill (Oklahoma) 13-11 (Dec 6-0)
Cons. Semi - Teague Travis (OK State) 21-6 won by decision over Jared Hill (Oklahoma) 13-11 (Dec 7-2)
5th Place Match - Brock Mauller (Missouri) 17-5 won by tech fall over Jared Hill (Oklahoma) 13-11 (TF-1.5 5:38 (19-3))

165

Cael Carlson (15-12) placed 7th and scored 4.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Cael Carlson (Oklahoma) 15-12 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Peyton Hall (W Virginia) 27-7 won by fall over Cael Carlson (Oklahoma) 15-12 (Fall 4:13)
Cons. Round 2 - Cael Carlson (Oklahoma) 15-12 won in sudden victory - 1 over Derek Matthews (N Colorado) 14-14 (SV-1 7-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Jack Thomsen (N Iowa) 13-9 won by major decision over Cael Carlson (Oklahoma) 15-12 (MD 12-3)
7th Place Match - Cael Carlson (Oklahoma) 15-12 won by decision over Cooper Voorhees (Wyoming) 12-17 (Dec 2-1)

174

Tate Picklo (14-14) placed 8th and scored 5.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 14-14 won by decision over Noah Blake (Air Force) 11-12 (Dec 4-2)
Quarterfinal - Brayden Thompson (OK State) 12-9 won in sudden victory - 1 over Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 14-14 (SV-1 4-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 14-14 won by major decision over Peter Acciardi (California Baptist) 6-9 (MD 11-2)
Cons. Round 3 - MJ Gaitan (Iowa St) 19-7 won by fall over Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 14-14 (Fall 1:43)
7th Place Match - Jared Simma (N Iowa) 15-9 won by major decision over Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 14-14 (MD 17-5)

184

Giuseppe Hoose (11-13) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Dustin Plott (OK State) 27-3 won by fall over Giuseppe Hoose (Oklahoma) 11-13 (Fall 2:35)
Cons. Round 1 - Giuseppe Hoose (Oklahoma) 11-13 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Ethan Ducca (Wyoming) 8-6 won in sudden victory - 1 over Giuseppe Hoose (Oklahoma) 11-13 (SV-1 4-1)

197

Stephen Buchanan (21-2) placed 3rd and scored 14.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma) 21-2 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma) 21-2 won by fall over Spencer Mooberry (ND State) 9-13 (Fall 6:20)
Semifinal - Rocky Elam (Missouri) 11-2 won by decision over Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma) 21-2 (Dec 5-4)
Cons. Semi - Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma) 21-2 won by decision over Luke Surber (OK State) 13-7 (Dec 6-2)
3rd Place Match - Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma) 21-2 won by decision over Joseph Novak (Wyoming) 22-12 (Dec 6-4)

285

Josh Heindselman (21-6) placed 4th and scored 11.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) 21-6 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) 21-6 won in sudden victory - 1 over Konner Doucet (OK State) 19-9 (SV-1 4-1)
Semifinal - Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) 22-0 won by major decision over Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) 21-6 (MD 14-1)
Cons. Semi - Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) 21-6 won by decision over Michael Wolfgram (W Virginia) 18-12 (Dec 4-2)
3rd Place Match - Zach Elam (Missouri) 25-2 won by major decision over Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) 21-6 (MD 8-0)