Columbia News

The University of Missouri wrestling team concluded the first day of the Big 12 Championships in eighth place with 55 points. The tournament, held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, saw Mizzou advance two wrestlers to the finals and three others to placement matches.

During the opening session, three Tigers—Josh Edmond (141 lbs), Logan Gioffre (149 lbs), and Seth Nitzel (285 lbs)—received byes into the quarterfinals. Kade Moore started a streak of four consecutive wins at 133 pounds, helping push seven Missouri wrestlers into the next round.

Moore continued his performance by defeating No. 1 seed Evan Frost from Iowa State, securing a spot in the semifinals and automatic qualification for the NCAA Championship. Cam Steed and Keegan O'Toole also advanced to the semifinals with bonus-point victories, earning their own national tournament bids. Edmond, Gioffre, James Conway, and Nitzel lost their quarterfinal matches and moved into the consolation bracket.

Freshman Gage Walker won a decision at 125 pounds to stay in contention for placement. Colton Hawks advanced in consolations as well, while Jesse Cassatt progressed on a bye.

After Session I, Missouri was tied for sixth place with 33 points; three wrestlers remained in semifinals contention and seven were still active in consolations.

In Session II, Moore lost his semifinal match to Kyle Burwick of North Dakota State. At 165 pounds, Steed defeated the top seed to reach tomorrow's final against Peyton Hall of West Virginia. O'Toole became Missouri's second finalist after winning all his matches with bonus points.

Walker ended his tournament after a loss at 125 pounds during evening action. Edmond, Gioffre, and Cassatt were also eliminated from competition following losses. Conway picked up a sudden victory win at 157 pounds to secure podium placement; Hawks earned another win to move within one victory of national qualification. Nitzel finished his day without a win at heavyweight.

Conway lost his third-round consolation match and will compete for seventh place tomorrow; Hawks will do likewise after dropping his bout. By day's end, five Tigers remained: Steed and O'Toole in finals contention; Moore in consolation semifinals; Conway and Hawks competing for seventh place finishes—a result that would secure Hawks an NCAA berth. Five other Missouri wrestlers failed to qualify automatically but may be considered for at-large NCAA bids.

Tournament notes highlighted several milestones:

- Seven Tigers reached quarterfinals this year compared to all ten last season—the fewest since rejoining the Big 12 in 2021-22.

- Moore’s upset over Iowa State’s Evan Frost marked his second ranked win this season.

- Steed qualified for nationals for the first time.

- O’Toole earned a fifth national tournament bid.

- Steed is set for his first Big 12 finals appearance.

- For a second consecutive year, two Mizzou wrestlers have reached Saturday night’s finals.

Sessions III and IV are scheduled for March 9 at Tulsa’s BOK Center. Consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches begin at noon CT on ESPN+, followed by championship bouts airing at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

For updates on Missouri wrestling results or information about future events visit MUTigers.com or follow Mizzou Wrestling on Facebook or Twitter/Instagram (@MizzouWrestling).