Hendrickson win at heavyweight cements Big 12 title for Oklahoma State in first year of Taylor era

North Dakota State wrestled above its seed more than any team this weekend, and Kyle Burwick making the finals at 133 against Northern Colorado’s Dominick Serrano was a big part of it. Serrano grabbed the first takedown and took a 3-1 lead into the second. Serrano started on bottom and got an escape to make it 4-1. In the third, Burwick got a quick escape, but a takedown by Serrano put him up by five. Another escape for Burwick and another takedown for Serrano gave him an 11-4 decision and 133 pound Big 12 Title.

The 141 final could essentially clinch the team title for Oklahoma State with Tagen Jamison taking on Northern Iowa’s Cael Happel. There was no score in the first and Happel got an escape early in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Jamison got one of his own quickly in the third and tied it up 1-1. There were a few exchanges on their feet in regulation, but no scoring and the match went to sudden victory. Happel took a shot, and Jamison countered and got in a scramble on the edge. No points were awarded, but Oklahoma State challenged. After the review, no takedown was awarded, and the match went to tiebreakers. Jamison won the toss and chose bottom. Jamison got an escape at the 16 second mark. Happel got his at the 12 second mark and won the bout in tiebreakers. His win brought Northern Iowa within eight points of Oklahoma State.

At 149, Colin Realbuto picked up a takedown in the first period against Paniro Johnson. Johnson answered with a few escapes to make it 3-2. Realbuto started the third period on bottom and escaped before a Johnson takedown in the final seconds sealed the match and title for Johnson.

Vinny Zerban gave Northern Colorado their second title of the night at 157. He opened things with a takedown and 2-point turn to go up 5-0 and never looked back. Siebrecht made it interesting with a few stall calls late, but Zerban held on to win 7-4 with riding time.

Peyton Hall’s rideout in the third period at 165 was the difference in his 2-0 win over Missouri’s Cam Steed.

The most talked about match leading up to the tournament was Dean Hamiti against Keegan O’Toole. The 174 final went to the second period 0-0 with Hamiti on bottom. Hamiti got a fairly quick escape then took a shot and scored three to take a 4-0 lead into the third period. O’Toole got an escape and takedown of his own to make it 4-4 and send it to sudden victory. O’Toole got in on a shot and finished to take his third Big 12 Championship.

Dustin Plott and Parker Keckeisen met for the sixth time at 184. Plott was aggressive early and took shots, but Keckeisen was physically too much for Plott. A first period takedown and rideout, plus a similar second period takedown and rideout had Keckeisen up 6-1.  Another escape and riding time gave Keckeisen an 8-1 win.

This brought Northern Iowa within four team points of Oklahoma State with a chance to tie or take the lead at 197. There was no score in the first period and UNI’s Wyatt Voelker picked up an escape in the second period to make it 1-0. Luke Surber got a quick escape of his own to make it 1-0 and Voelker immediately got in on a shot that led to a wild scramble that seemed to last for minutes before Voelker finished and went up 4-1 with only about twenty seconds remaining in the period. Voelker rode out and won 4-1.

This tied the team score with only HWT remaining. Wyatt Hendrickson and Colton Schultz exchanged takedowns and were tied 4-4 going into the second period. An escape and takedown put Hendrickson up 8-4 going into the third period. Hendrickson held on late for an 8-5 win giving Oklahoma State its only champion of the night and the outright team title.

“It took a team effort…There’s a lot of experiences we can take from this into the National Tournament,” remarked Oklahoma State head coach David Taylor.

Parker Keckeisen praised his Northern Iowa team on the performance. “We have a great group, a blessed group,” he noted. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had with a group of guys”.

The Big 12 team race and final was a wild one on many levels. Next up is the NCAAs in Philadelphia in two weeks.

Final brackets and match-by-match results are available through Trackwrestling. Archived video from the event is on ESPN+.

Visit the Big 12 Championships “Championship Central” page for more information on this event.

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1. Oklahoma State, 153.5

2. Northern Iowa, 149.,5

3. South Dakota State, 110

4. Iowa State, 107.5

5. Northern Colorado, 79.5

6. West Virginia, 77.5

7. Oklahoma, 72.5

8. Missouri, 65.5

9. North Dakota State, 58.5

10. Wyoming, 58

11. Arizona State, 43

12. Utah Valley, 21.5

13. California Baptist, 15

14. Air Force, 11.5

1^st – Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia) dec. Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State), 5-2 SV

3^rd – Richard Figueroa (Arizona State) dec. Antonio Lorenzo (Oklahoma), 8-3

5^th – Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) maj. dec. Tristan Daugherty (North Dakota State), 9-1

7^th – Trever Anderson (Northern Iowa) fall Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State), 6:58

1^st – Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado) dec. Kyle Burwick (North Dakota State), 11-4

3^rd – Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) dec. Kade Moore (Missouri), 10-6

5^th – Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) med. for. Hunter Leake (California Baptist)

7^th – Evan Frost (Iowa State) med. for. Cleveland Belton (Oklahoma)

1^st – Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) dec. Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State), 2-2 TB

3^rd – Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) dec. Jacob Frost (Iowa State), 8-2

5^th – Julian Tagg (South Dakota State) med. for. Jordan Titus (West Virginia)

7^th – Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) dec. Cole Brooks (Wyoming), 17-13

1^st – Paniro Johnson (Iowa State) dec. Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa), 5-4

3^rd – Gavin Drexler (North Dakota State) dec. Teague Travis (Oklahoma State), 9-2

5^th – Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) dec. Avery Allen (South Dakota State), 5-2

7^th – Sam Hillegas (West Virginia) fall Gabe Willochell (Wyoming), 1:53

1^st – Vinny Zerban (Northern Colorado) dec. Cobe Siebrecht (South Dakota State), 7-4

3^rd – Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) dec. Caleb Fish (Oklahoma State), 4-2

5^th – Jared Hill (Wyoming) dec. Cody Chittum (Iowa State), 4-3

7^th – James Conway (Missouri) dec. Caleb Dowling (West Virginia), 6-3

1^st – Peyton Hall (West Virginia) dec. Cam Steed (Missouri), 2-0

3^rd – Terrell Barraclough (Utah Valley) dec. Aiden Riggins (Iowa State), 1-0

5^th – Cameron Amine (Oklahoma State) med. for. Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State)

7^th – Jack Thomsen (Northern Iowa) dec. Clayton Ulrey (Northern Colorado), 4-0

1^st – Keegan O`Toole (Missouri) dec. Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State), 7-4

3^rd – MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) dec. Gaven Sax (Oklahoma), 6-4

5^th – Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) dec. Jared Simma (Northern Iowa), 9-4

7^th – Devin Wasley (North Dakota State) dec. Aydin Rix-McElhinney (Northern Colorado), 6-3

1^st – Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) dec. Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State), 8-1

3^rd – Bennett Berge (South Dakota State) maj. dec. Eddie Neitenbach (Wyoming), 12-1

5^th – Deanthony Parker Jr (Oklahoma) med. for. Evan Bockman (Iowa State)

7^th – Aidan Brenot (North Dakota State) dec. Colton Hawks (Missouri), 11-7

1^st – Wyatt Voelker (Northern Iowa) dec. Luke Surber (Oklahoma State), 4-1

3^rd – Zach Glazier (South Dakota State) dec. Ian Bush (West Virginia), 4-3

5^th – Joseph Novak (Wyoming) maj. dec. Brian Burburija (Air Force), 9-0

7^th – Nathan Schon (Iowa State) dec. Kael Bennie (Utah Valley), 9-4

1^st – Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State) dec. Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State), 8-5

3^rd – Luke Rasmussen (South Dakota State) dec. Sam Mitchell (Wyoming), 8-3

5^th – Daniel Herrera (Iowa State) dec. Juan Mora (Oklahoma), 5-3

7^th – Lance Runyon (Northern Iowa) maj. dec. Andrew Blackburn-Forst (North Dakota State), 13-0