Columbia News

The University of Missouri wrestling team, ranked No. 20 nationally, is set to compete in two Big 12 Conference duals this weekend in Oklahoma. The Tigers will face No. 22 Oklahoma on Saturday, February 1 at McCasland Field House in Norman and then travel to Stillwater to meet No. 3 Oklahoma State on Sunday, February 2 at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Both matches will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

Missouri enters the weekend with a season record of 5-7 overall and a conference mark of 4-1. The team recently extended its winning streak to three after defeating West Virginia 22-16 at home, marking its first ranked win of the season. Kade Moore earned a fall at 133 pounds and James Conway secured a major decision at 157 pounds during that match.

The Tigers have dealt with several injuries this season but managed a strong January performance, going undefeated against Big 12 opponents at home despite missing key starters. Over their last three conference duals, Missouri outscored its opponents by a combined margin of 61-47.

Kade Moore has been recognized for his recent performances, becoming the first two-time winner of the Outstanding Wrestler belt presented by UFC Fight Pass after pinning Tommy Maddox from West Virginia. He has recorded five falls in his last six matches and seven bonus-point wins out of nine victories this season.

Logan Gioffre returned to the lineup at 149 pounds against West Virginia after an absence since November and earned his third dual win of the year with a narrow victory over Sam Hillegas.

Saturday's matchup marks the 59th meeting between Missouri and Oklahoma dating back to Mizzou’s inaugural wrestling season in 1923. While Oklahoma leads the series historically, Missouri has not lost to them since the 2016-17 season and has won six of their last seven encounters.

In their most recent contest against Oklahoma on December 1, Missouri achieved a decisive victory with contributions including major decisions from Noah Surtin and Brock Mauller as well as a pin by Keegan O'Toole.

Against Oklahoma State, Missouri holds an all-time record of eight wins, forty-five losses, and one draw since first meeting in the late 1920s. Under current head coach Brian Smith, they have won eight times against OSU but fell short in their last matchup on February 4 by a score of 24-10.

Missouri is currently dealing with roster challenges due to injuries: Colton Hawks (184 pounds) is sidelined indefinitely; Rocky Elam will not wrestle this season; Keegan O'Toole is expected to return for postseason competition after recovering from injury; and Noah Surtin announced his medical retirement in December. These absences leave four starters out who collectively accounted for significant career achievements within the program.

Despite these setbacks, Missouri remains ranked No. 20 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Poll and has multiple athletes recognized individually by national rankings services such as InterMat and FloWrestling. Keegan O'Toole holds top positions both pound-for-pound and within his weight class nationally.

Following their road trip to Oklahoma, Missouri will host its final dual meet against Iowa State later in February.