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Jumping from one season to the next comes with its line up changes and depth chart shuffles. With seniors graduating and recruits/transfers coming in and out, among other changes, teams will be looking to improve their roster. In a series of articles, I will be breaking down individual wrestlers within each weight class and where they stand inside the Big 12 Conference.
197lbs Conference Overview:
The 197lbs weight class will be returning six of its top eight Big 12 placers from the 2021-22 season. Three of the returning starters made it onto the podium at the NCAA Championships last season, while four others qualified. With most of the class returning for the upcoming season, the 197lbs weight class may be one of the toughest in the Big 12 conference. This weight class is returning a multitude of talented wrestlers from the previous season.
Anticipated Big 12 Matchup:
Stephen Buchanan (WYO) vs. Rocky Elam (MIZ)
- The current leader in the clubhouse for this series is Stephen Buchanan with three wins to his one loss. The majority of these two wrestlers’ battles occurred during the 2022 campaign in which they matched up three times. While Buchanan has won three times, they were by a small margin of one four-point victory and two one-point victories. Look for these two wrestlers to once again put on aggressive matches during the coming wrestling season.
197lbs Sleeper:
Rocky Elam - Mizzou
- While Rocky isn’t necessarily a “Sleeper” to the wrestling world, it is a matter of time before he finds a second gear and starts knocking off the guys that continue to hold him back from standing on top of the podium. Take the past two NCAA Championships for instance. During last season’s championship, Elam was defeated twice in the tournament both coming by conference rival Stephen Buchanan. Then jump back to the 2021 championship which personally I believe was one of the most impressive runs in the tournament by one wrestler. On his way to a fifth-place finish, Rocky Elam was upset in the first round then proceeded to follow up that loss with victories over the 23rd, 15th, 9th, 3rd, and 2nd seeded wrestlers in his bracket before coming back to knock off the guy who upset him in the first round. Look for Rocky Elam to make a special run in the coming season!
Returning 2021-22 Starters:
Stephen Buchanan (Jr.) - Wyoming - NCAA Championship Seed: 2 - Record: 28-3
Finished the season with a 16-2 conference record and a first place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Buchanan is a three-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time All-American (8th in 2021). He will be coming back from the best Championship finish in his collegiate career. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 5-1 defeating No. 7 Rocky Elam (Missouri) by decision (1-0) in the third place match.
Tanner Sloan (Jr.) - South Dakota State - NCAA Championship Seed: 12 - Record: 21-7
Finished the season with a 10-2 conference record and a second place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Sloan is a three-time NCAA qualifier and has reached as far as the blood round one time at the NCAAs in 2021. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 1-2 getting knocked out by decision (SV-1, 10-8) to No. 11 Thomas Penola (Wyoming) in the second-round consolation.
Rocky Elam (So.) - Missouri - NCAA Championship Seed: 7 - Record: 24-7
Finished the season with a 14-6 conference record and a third place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Rocky is a two-time NCAA qualifier and All-American (5th in 2021). He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship by going 5-2 getting defeated by decision (1-0) to No. 2 Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) in the third place match.
Yonger Bastida (So.) - Iowa State - NCAA Championship Seed: 10 - Record: 25-7
Finished the season with an 11-6 conference record and a fifth place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Younger will be returning from his first NCAA qualification and All-American finish. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 6-2 defeating No. 21 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) by fall in the fifth place match.
Owen Pentz (So.) - North Dakota State - NCAA Championship Seed: 22 - Record: 18-9
Finished the season with an 8-6 conference record and a sixth place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Pentz is a two-time NCAA qualifier and has reached the round of 16 one time. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 1-2 getting knocked out by decision (3-2) to No. 5 Nino Bonnaccorsi (Pittsburgh) in the second-round consolation.
Evan Bockman (Jr.) - Utah Valley - NCAA Championship Seed: 24 - Record: 14-11
Finished the season with a 6-6 conference record and a seventh place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Bockman Will be returning from his first NCAA qualification. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 0-2 getting knocked out by a major decision (16-4) to No. 25 Jaron Smith (Maryland) in the first-round consolation.
Gavin Stika (Jr.) - Oklahoma State - Record: 13-10
Finished the season with a 3-7 conference record and did not place in the Big 12 Conference Championship in the 21-22 season.
John Gunderson (So.) - UNI - Record: 10-9
Finished the season with a 6-7 conference record and did not place in the Big 12 Conference Championship in the 21-22 season.
Other Potential Starters:
Adam Ahrendson (Fr.) - Northern Iowa
- Competing for starting job at 197lbs
Austin Cooley (Jr.) - West Virginia
- Transfer out of Pittsburg
- Competing for starting job at 197lbs
Cole Forrester (Jr.) - Air Force
- Projected starter at 197lbs
- #89 Overall Recruit in 2021
Franklin Cruz (Fr.) - Northern Colorado
- Projected starter at 197lbs
- #16 Overall Recruit in 2021
Departures:
Alan Clothier - Northern Colorado
Kayne Hutchison - Air Force
Jake Woodley - Oklahoma
Jackson Moomau - West Virginia
Notable Recruits:
Wyatt Voelker - Northern Iowa
- #52 Overall Recruit (FloWrestling)
- #70 Overall Recruit (MatScout)
- 4x High School State Medalist (2x Champ) (Iowa)
David Harper - Wyoming
- #87 Overall Recruit (FloWrestling)
- #93 Overall Recruit (MatScout)
Early Big 12 Tournament Prediction:
- Rocky Elam (MIZ)
- Stephen Buchanan (WYO)
- Younger Bastida (ISU)
- Tanner Sloan (SDSU)
- Owen Pentz (NDSU)
- Evan Bockman (UTV)
- Gavin Stika (OKST)
- Adam Ahrendson (UNI)
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