Three Sooners Qualify for NCAAs on Day One of Big 12 Championship

TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma wrestling concluded the first day of the Big 12 Championship on Saturday at the BOK Center in Tulsa, with three Sooners punching their tickets to the NCAA Championship and two others still alive in the consolation rounds heading into Sunday's third session. As a team, Oklahoma finished day one in seventh place out of 14 teams, totaling 60.5 points.

"Every match is tough," said OU head coach Roger Kish. "We won some tough ones and lost some tough ones; that's the way this tournament goes. We're happy with some of the guys, and I'm sure a few others are disappointed. But we've still got some big matches tomorrow, and we'll make sure these guys are ready to go."

Antonio Lorenzo (125), Gaven Sax (174) and DJ Parker (184) all qualified for the NCAA Championships, while Willie McDougald (149) and Juan Mora (285) are set to compete in Sunday's sectional semifinals with a bid to Philadelphia on the line.

Lorenzo, seeded sixth at 125 pounds, bounced back from a quarterfinal loss by defeating Missouri's Gage Walker (4-2) and No. 7 Trever Anderson (4-0) to become a three-time NCAA qualifier.

At 174, Sax breezed through the opening rounds in just 45 seconds of match time to reach the semifinals before dropping a 10-1 major decision to Missouri's second-seeded Keegan O'Toole. A Big 12 runner-up in 2024 at North Dakota State, Sax will look to cap his fourth and final trip to Tulsa with a third-place medal.

Parker earned a bye through the preliminary round before opening his tournament with a heartbreaking 4-1 loss in sudden victory to Iowa State's No. 4 Evan Bockman. The redshirt junior responded by rattling off two major decision victories over Arizona State's Shay Addison (12-1) and North Dakota State's Aidan Brenot (9-0). Parker will enter the final day of competition as OU's team leader in bonus-point victories with 13.

McDougald (No. 3), who entered Saturday's tournament as the only other Sooner to have made it to a Big 12 title match (2022), finished the evening 3-1 with a fitting 8-5 sudden-victory win over West Virginia's Sam Hillegas in the senior's final bout. The Niagara Falls, N.Y., native is 5-0 on the year when wrestling past regulation.

In the heavyweight division, Mora (No. 5) notched the biggest win of any Sooner representing a crimson and cream singlet by knocking off Missouri's No. 4 Seth Nitzel (SV-1 6-3) to reach the semifinals. The junior, who finished the dual season with four ranked wins, was ultimately pinned by top-seeded Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State (3:22).

Elsewhere, Cleveland Belton (133) and Mosha Schwartz (141) will compete for seventh place, while John Wiley (157), Tate Picklo (165) and Bradley Hill (197) picked up wins before being eliminated from the tournament.The five Sooners still competing will be back in action for Sunday's third session starting at noon. The finals are set to begin at 8 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

For updates, follow @OU_Wrestling on Twitter, or like Oklahoma Wrestling on Facebook.

Day 1 Results

125

Antonio Lorenzo (16-8) placed 6th and scored 8.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Antonio Lorenzo (Oklahoma) 16-8 won in sudden victory - 2 over Garrett Ricks (Wyoming) 6-9 (SV-2 10-4)
Quarterfinal - Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia) 10-2 won by decision over Antonio Lorenzo (Oklahoma) 16-8 (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Antonio Lorenzo (Oklahoma) 16-8 won by decision over Gage Walker (Missouri) 12-11 (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Round 3 - Antonio Lorenzo (Oklahoma) 16-8 won by decision over Trever Anderson (Northern Iowa) 12-9 (Dec 4-0)

133

Cleveland Belton (13-7) placed 8th and scored 5.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Cleveland Belton (Oklahoma) 13-7 won by decision over Kase Mauger (Utah Valley) 13-11 (Dec 4-1)
Quarterfinal - Hunter Leake (California Baptist) 6-7 won by decision over Cleveland Belton (Oklahoma) 13-7 (Dec 5-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Cleveland Belton (Oklahoma) 13-7 won by major decision over Tommy Maddox (West Virginia) 7-14 (MD 17-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) 17-13 won by decision over Cleveland Belton (Oklahoma) 13-7 (Dec 7-0)

141

Mosha Schwartz (13-6) placed 8th and scored 4.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) 13-6 won by decision over Jordan Titus (West Virginia) 11-14 (Dec 9-6)
Quarterfinal - Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) 20-3 won by tech fall over Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) 13-6 (TF-1.5 6:37 (20-3))
Cons. Round 2 - Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) 13-6 won by decision over Daniel Miranda (Arizona State) 4-10 (Dec 17-13)
Cons. Round 3 - Julian Tagg (South Dakota State) 15-10 won by fall over Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) 13-6 (Fall 5:25)

149

Willie McDougald (19-5) placed 6th and scored 8.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 19-5 won by decision over Smokey McClure (Utah Valley) 6-7 (Dec 6-2)
Quarterfinal - Teague Travis (Oklahoma State) 3-2 won by decision over Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 19-5 (Dec 7-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 19-5 won by decision over Mykey Ramos (Arizona State) 5-6 (Dec 5-3)
Cons. Round 3 - Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) 19-5 won in sudden victory - 1 over Sam Hillegas (West Virginia) 8-14 (SV-1 8-5)

157

John Wiley (2-4) place is unknown and scored 2.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Vinny Zerban (Northern Colorado) 17-4 won by decision over John Wiley (Oklahoma) 2-4 (Dec 8-1)
Cons. Round 1 - John Wiley (Oklahoma) 2-4 won by fall over Gabriel Schumm (North Dakota State) 12-9 (Fall 4:52)
Cons. Round 2 - Jared Hill (Wyoming) 23-9 won in tie breaker - 1 over John Wiley (Oklahoma) 2-4 (TB-1 6-5)

165

Tate Picklo (12-8) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Terrell Barraclough (Utah Valley) 20-2 won by major decision over Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 12-8 (MD 15-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 12-8 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Jack Thomsen (Northern Iowa) 18-10 won by major decision over Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 12-8 (MD 14-5)

174

Gaven Sax (13-4) placed 6th and scored 12.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Gaven Sax (Oklahoma) 13-4 won by fall over Mark Takara (Utah Valley) 9-13 (Fall 0:43)
Quarterfinal - Gaven Sax (Oklahoma) 13-4 won by injury default over Brody Conley (West Virginia) 13-8 (Inj. 0:02)
Semifinal - Keegan O`Toole (Missouri) 15-0 won by major decision over Gaven Sax (Oklahoma) 13-4 (MD 10-1)

184

Deanthony Parker Jr (17-5) placed 6th and scored 9.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Deanthony Parker Jr (Oklahoma) 17-5 received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Evan Bockman (Iowa State) 14-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over Deanthony Parker Jr (Oklahoma) 17-5 (SV-1 4-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Deanthony Parker Jr (Oklahoma) 17-5 won by major decision over Shay Addison (Arizona State) 10-10 (MD 12-1)
Cons. Round 3 - Deanthony Parker Jr (Oklahoma) 17-5 won by major decision over Aidan Brenot (North Dakota State) 19-15 (MD 9-0)

197

Bradley Hill (8-12) place is unknown and scored 1.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Kael Bennie (Utah Valley) 11-9 won by decision over Bradley Hill (Oklahoma) 8-12 (Dec 6-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Bradley Hill (Oklahoma) 8-12 won by major decision over Tayshaun Glover (North Dakota State) 6-15 (MD 12-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Brian Burburija (Air Force) 22-10 won in sudden victory - 1 over Bradley Hill (Oklahoma) 8-12 (SV-1 4-1)

285

Juan Mora (12-7) placed 6th and scored 9.5 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Juan Mora (Oklahoma) 12-7 won by tech fall over Jack Forbes (Utah Valley) 7-11 (TF-1.5 6:45 (21-5))
Quarterfinal - Juan Mora (Oklahoma) 12-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over Seth Nitzel (Missouri) 12-8 (SV-1 6-3)
Semifinal - Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State) 21-0 won by fall over Juan Mora (Oklahoma) 12-7 (Fall 3:22)