With the regular season ending, we have reached the pinnacle points of the NCAA wrestling season, Conference Championships, and the NCAA Championship. The Mizzou squad will be heading to Tulsa for both events, starting with the Big 12 Conference Championships on March 4-5, 2023. With allocations released, the Big 12 comes in with the second most with 64, trailing the Big Ten (88) by 24. You can stream the event live Saturday and Sunday, March 4-5 on ESPN+. Below is the allocation chart and tournament itinerary.

2023 Big 12 Wrestling Championship Schedule

Saturday, March 4

• Session 1: Preliminary & Quarterfinal Matches — 11:00 a.m. CT
• Session 2: Semifinal & Consolation Quarterfinal Matches — 5:00 p.m. CT

Sunday, March 5

• Session 3: Consolation Semifinals and Seventh Place Matches — 12:00 p.m. CT
• Session 4: Finals — 7:00 p.m. CT

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Brian Smith and his Tiger Style squad will be looking to defend their Big 12 title from the prior season. In 2022, they took home a first-place team trophy with a score of 131.5, defeating the next-best team, Oklahoma, by 18.5 team points.

This season presents us with a Mizzou wrestling team that enters with an 8-3 overall dual record having faced just eight teams in the conference in head-to-head meets going 7-1. The overall individual match record for Tiger starters against Big 12 opponents put the team at 56-16 on the season. Now we look into each weight division and see what the Championship holds for this year’s Tiger Style team. You can view individual brackets HERE.

125LBS: Noah Surtin (So.) - Record: 13-4 - Big XII Record: 6-1 - Seed: 3rd

Surtin has come on strong to round out his regular season, taking in two bonus victories over his last three contests including a tone-setting fall against rival Iowa State. This season he has faced seven different wrestlers in the conference, taking home a victory in all matches except for one, Jore Volk of Wyoming. Surtin enters the championship on the bottom half of the bracket, setting him up for a potential Jore Volk rematch in the semifinals. His route to a third NCAA trip starts against 2-9 Junior, Ryan Henningson of North Dakota State.

Favorite: Killian Cardinale (West Virginia)

Cardinale headlines the 125-weight class with an undefeated overall record and conference record. He is a 2x NCAA Qualifier and 1x All-American placing 7th during the 2021 season. He is the returning and defending 125lbs Big 12 champ from the previous season and will be looking to hold onto that title for another season. Mizzou’s Noah Surtin has faced off against Cardinale once during his career during the 2021 NCAA Championships where he fell by way of a 9-4 decision in the second-round consolation match.

Sleeper: Jore Volk (Wyoming)

As a true freshman, Jore Volk has been a one-man wrecking crew this year for the Cowboys. Coming out of Minnesota, Volk was ranked #40 on the 2022 High School Recruiting Big Board and has immediately impacted the Wyoming lineup. With the exception of his recent loss to Eli Griffin (Cal-Baptist), Volk has knocked off both ranked Noah Surtin (MIZ) and Stevo Poulin (UNC). Volk has seen his name slowly rise among the ranking inside 125 becoming a staple inside the weight class for people to double-take when his name comes up.

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133LBS: Connor Brown (Sr.) - Record: 9-7 - Big XII Record: 5-2 - Seed: 5th

Now in his final season, Connor Brown will be looking to make it to the NCAA Championships for the first time as a Tiger, and for the second time during his collegiate career. Brown carries just two losses on the season to Big 12 opponents, 3x NCAA finalist Daton Fix of Oklahoma State, and 1x NCAA qualifier Zach Redding of Iowa State. He currently sits on the top side of the bracket and opens the tournament against Davin Rhoads, a 2-9 freshman out of West Virginia whom Brown has defeated once this season by way of fall.

Favorite: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)

Picking anyone other than Fix to take home the top honors at 133 would be absurd. He is the returning Big 12 champ from the past three seasons and will continue to be the front-runner until he moves on from the college ranks completely.

Sleeper: Connor Brown (Mizzou)

You can call me a homer but I still believe that Connor Brown is on the brink of making some noise for the Tigers. Brown may have lost seven matches this season but all have come to higher-ranked opponents and by no more than a four-point decision, with the exception of Daton Fix. I have Brown turning a corner to open the Conference Championship and pull off some upsets.

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141LBS: Allan Hart (Sr.) - Record: 12-4 - Big XII Record: 6-3 - Seed: 6th

Senior Allan Hart has not had an easy go around to end his season, losing two of his final three bouts to lesser-ranked conference opponents at the time. Hart has been a bit of a rollercoaster this year. He has been on multiple heaters before being shut down and then taking back off again. Luckily for him, his final eye-opener came right before the big shows so buckle up, Mizzou fans! Opening the Championship on the bottom side of 141, Hart will be on a redemption tour. En route to a potential finals appearance, Hart will be given the opportunity to take down: Cael Happel, Mosha Schwartz, and end with Andrew Alirez for the gold.

Favorite: Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado)

Alirez, the returning Big 12 Champ, has finished his regular season going undefeated for the first time in his collegiate career. He opened the early portions of the current season by competing in the NWCA All-Star Wrestling Classic taking now #5 Cole Matthews (Pitt) and earning a 4-2 sudden victory win. Alirez has yet to face off against an opponent ranked higher than #12 Clay Carlson of South Dakota State. Mizzou’s Allan Hart has seen top seed Andrew Alirez once this season already taking an 8-4 decision loss. In prior contests, Hart matched up with him twice, both coming in the previous season where he fell by a decision in both.

Sleeper: Carter Young (Oklahoma State)

Young enters the Big 12 Championship fresh off a late-season upset against conference opponent, #7 Mosha Schwartz of Oklahoma. While stepping in for an injured Trevor Mastrogiovanni, Young has filled the role admirably, knocking off multiple ranked opponents including #18 Jake Bergeland (MINN), #8 Cael Happel (UNI), and #16 Allan Hart (MIZ). He returns to the conference championship after a seventh-place finish in the previous year.

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149LBS: Brock Mauller (RsJr.) - Record: 13-1 - Big XII Record: 8-0 - Seed: 1st

Mauller steps into the conference championship on a nine-match win streak including victories over all top-ranked wrestlers inside of his bracket. Mauller sits at the top of the bracket having faced and defeated the three other seeded wrestlers on his side. We can look forward to another thrilling Johnson/Mauller contest to round out this weight class.

Favorite: Brock Mauller (Mizzou)

Mauller’s last loss to a Big 12 opponent dates back to his 2020 season where he fell to Jaron Jansen of Wyoming. He comes into the Championship after a thrilling bout with top-ranked Paniro Johnson of Iowa State where he pulled off an overtime victory by fall in the final dual meet of the season. Mauller has had an average season from a statistical standpoint but for what he is missing on paper he more than makes up for inside the circle.

Sleeper: Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State)

Voinovich has a total of eight losses this season, and in those eight losses, he has been defeated by one point four times, and two points four times. He is on the verge of a more noticeable season by a mere twelve points. A quick shift in momentum or one swing match could boost him right into an NCAA qualification, potentially upsetting multiple ranked wrestlers.

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157LBS: Jarrett Jacques (Sr.) - Record: 14-3 - Big XII Record: 6-2 - Seed: 3rd

Jarrett Jacques has had a sneaky good season and has wrestled strong all season long. Located on the same side, Jacques will be itching for another go at second seed Kaden Gfeller in a potential semis bout. If all falls right, he will also get the opportunity to take down top seed Jared Franek in a finals match.

Favorite: Jared Franek (North Dakota State)

Jared Franek is a 3x NCAA Qualifier and returns to the Big 12 Championship looking to make his way back into the conference finals for the third consecutive season at 157lbs. He has taken one loss on the season by a 7-4 decision to top-ranked Junior out of Nebraska Peyton Robb. Mizzou’s Jarrett Jacques has seen Franek four times during his Tiger career. His only victory came during the first contest of the 2021 season, since then, Franek has narrowly controlled the table. Over the last three contests, the scores have gone: 4-2 (SV-1), 2-1 (TB-2), and 6-4 in his favor.

Sleeper: Jarrett Jacques (Mizzou)

While Jacques is a known name, he is right on the edge of being a top dog at 157. He has taken on both Franek and Gfeller this season. Jarrett missed coming out victorious in both contests, losing in overtime to Franek and by one to Gfeller. Jacques has been impressive this season and he could really turn some heads and make an impact during the Big 12 Championship.

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165LBS: Keegan O’Toole (So.) - Record: 12-1 - Big XII Record: 6-1 - Seed: 2nd

Not much to say that isn’t already known or been said about Keegan O’Toole already. He will be a man on a mission looking to take down the new favorite at 165lbs.

Favorite: David Carr (Iowa State)

It was difficult to put Carr over O’Toole but, he currently holds the head-to-head and did it in a dominant fashion in the only meeting between the two. David Carr is an incredible wrestler, 2x All-American, and former NCAA Champ. It is his crown to hold until we get our rematch!

Sleeper: Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State)

If anyone has the drive to knock off the top two here, it will be Caliendo. He enters the Championship with just two losses on the season but has already avenged one of them against none other than #3 Shane Griffith of Stanford. The other comes from Keegan O’Toole. Caliendo has wrestled strong this season and looks to continue making a name for himself moving into the post-season and what better way to start than knocking off #1 and #2.

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174LBS: Peyton Mocco (Jr.) - Record: 17-3 - Big XII Record: 9-1 - Seed: 1st

Peyton Mocco has been dominant for the Tigers this year. His one conference loss is to Dustin Plott, which he has since redeemed. Mocco’s route to the top of the podium starts with a rematch against Julien Broderson of Iowa State. Mocco recently defeat Broderson in the final dual of the season by 7-5 decision.

Favorite: Peyton Mocco (Mizzou)

Peyton Mocco currently leads all Mizzou starters on his feet this season with a total of sixty-two takedowns, the next closest, sets twelve back at fifty. Mocco will be coming into the tournament riding a heavy momentum train after just knocking off Oklahoma State Cowboy Dustin Plott in the midst of his seven-match win streak.

Sleeper: Cade DeVos (South Dakota State)

I was stuck between two different wrestlers here, Tate Picklo (OU) and Cade DeVos (SDSU) so I flipped a coin and went with DeVos. Cade DeVos is a 2x NCAA Qualifier and returns back to the Big 12 Championship after finishing with a fourth-place medal in the previous season. He has faced off with a number of top-ranked wrestlers this season which includes: #2, #4, #3, #7, #12, and #14, and came out with a 1-5 record. Within those six bouts, only one loss came by worse than a four-point decision. He most recently knocked off Oklahoma States Dustin Plott while also falling to Oklahoma Tate Picklo. DeVos could find his next gear inside the Championship and find himself knocking off some upper-ranked wrestlers.

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184LBS: Colton Hawks (So.) - Record: 14-8 - Big XII Record: 8-8 - Seed: 4th

Hawks will enter the Big 12 Championship for the first time in his collegiate career. He opens his tournament facing off against Peter Acciardi of Cal-Baptist. This will be the first meeting between these two wrestlers.

Favorite: Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)

This one goes without argument. Keckheisen has been in the driver’s seat at the 184lbs weight class since stepping into the starting lineup for the Panthers. He is a returning 2x Big 12 champion, a 2x All-American, and remains undefeated in conference match-ups during his collegiate career at Northern Iowa.

Sleeper: Colton Hawks (Mizzou)

Here I go again with another Mizzou guy and my “homer” mentality (editor’s note: we’ll allow it) but I find it hard to go against the Tigers. Hawks steps into the Big 12 tournament cracking the Flo ranks for the first time this season. Hawks started off the season in a rotation role but came on strong to round out the season taking over the job at 184 for the Tigers. Although he has yet to knock off any of the higher-ranked wrestlers in the conference, Mr. Hawks is right on the cusp of something special!

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197LBS: Rocky Elam (So.) - Record: 7-1 - Big XII Record: 5-1 - Seed: 2nd

Rocky opens his tournament as the second seed in the 197 weight class. He opens his Championship with a first round bye before running into either Calvin Sund (AF) or Xavier Vasquez (UNC), both of whom he has yet to compete against during his career with the Tigers.

Favorite: Rocky Elam (Mizzou)

Rocky Elam has been nothing short of impressive this season with the exception of one slight hiccup against Oklahoma State. Sometimes a good eye-opener is all someone needs to make the next step or push you even more to become the best. Rocky Elam has outpaced his competition this season only allowing two takedowns while collecting twenty-three of his own. He has may have only eight matches under his belt so far but has been dominant in all. He will be looking for a redemption tournament after falling in the quarterfinals in the previous season before finishing with a third-place medal.

Sleeper: Luke Surber (Oklahoma State)

Luke Surber has just two conference losses on the season, both from upper-ranked wrestlers, Tanner Sloan (SDSU) and Yonger Bastida (ISU) by decisions. In the latter half of the season, Mizzou fans witnessed Surber take down their #1 wrestler Rocky Elam by a decision. Surber is a 1x NCAA qualifier and returning 285lbs Big 12 finalist from the previous season. Don’t look past him to make another post-season run to turn heads again.

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285LBS: Zach Elam (Jr.) - Record: 15-2 - Big XII Record: 5-1 - Seed: 3rd

In what seems to be one of the top-loaded brackets of the Championship, Elam will have an opportunity to showcase what he can do. Sitting on the bottom half of the bracket, we will have a potential chance to see Elam take on the #7, #15, or #18 nationally ranked wrestlers inside his weight class.

Favorite: Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)

Hendrickson, the returning back-to-back 285lbs champ, comes into the Tulsa having dominated his way through conference opponents as well as opponents outside the conference. Out of the nine conference wins, five came by way of fall, one by technical fall, and two by major decision. His two losses come from top-ranked Mason Parris of Michigan and #9 Yaraslau Slavikouski of Harvard. Hendrickson has won twenty-five straight conference battles dating back to the 2021 season where he lost in the first round of the Big 12 Championship.

Sleeper: AJ Nevills (South Dakota State)

Now in his second season with the Jack Rabbits since transferring out of Fresno State, AJ Nevills with be looking to bounce back after a fifth-place finish in the previous season. He enters the contest with just two conference losses on the season, Wyatt Hendrickson (AF) and Tyrell Gordon (UNI). With an impressive season up to this point, we have seen him knock off multiple top-named wrestlers this year including #5 Cohlton Schultz (ASU), #19 Taye Ghadiali (Camp), and #23 Grady Griess (Navy) on his climb to the upper ranks.

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Mizzou overall has set itself in a good position moving into the Big 12 Championship with a smaller-than-usual schedule this season. Having a high number of allocation spots, we should expect the Tigers to push through all of their lineups with the close exception of the 133 lbs and 184 lbs weight classes where Connor Brown and Colton Hawks currently reside. Both Brown and Hawks will need to be on top of their games to ensure they land inside the top allocation spots. If they were to slip, it could leave them banking on an at-large bid.

The 165lbs and 285lbs weight classes lead the way with eight top twenty-five wrestlers a piece. 125lbs and 133lbs weight classes are set at the bottom of the tournament in ranked wrestlers at four a piece. The overall tournament count sits at sixty-one top twenty-five wrestlers as well as sixteen honorable mentions sitting just on the outside.

The Big 12 is one of the tougher conferences in the nation when it comes to stepping on the wrestling mats. It’s going to be a Championship full of screams, upsets, and victories so tune in and support your Tiger Style Wrestlers!

M.I.Z!