Missouri’s wrestling team finished the first day of the Big 12 Wrestling Championship in fourth place with 70.5 points at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 6. Seven Missouri wrestlers advanced to the second day of competition, including finalists Cam Steed and Aeoden Sinclair.
Throughout the opening day, Missouri athletes recorded an overall record of 18 wins and 13 losses. Six of those victories earned bonus points for the team.
In Session I, seven Tigers secured opening-round wins, highlighted by major decisions from Mack Mauger, Teague Travis, and Max Mayfield, as well as technical falls from Steed and Sinclair. With a first-round bye at heavyweight (285 pounds), eight Missouri wrestlers reached the quarterfinals—an improvement over last season when only seven advanced that far.
Gage Walker delivered a notable performance by defeating returning Big 12 Champion Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado) in sudden victory at 133 pounds during the quarterfinals. This win also secured Walker’s spot at the national tournament. By the end of Session I, Missouri was fifth in team standings with 35.5 points.
Session II saw Walker fall to Arizona State’s Kyler Larkin in a semifinal rematch from earlier this season. At 174 pounds, Steed won his semifinal bout against Carter Schubert (Oklahoma) with a narrow 4-3 decision to reach the finals. Sinclair joined him after controlling his match at 184 pounds for another finals berth.
Six Tigers competed in consolation matches during Session II; four won their bouts to secure podium finishes. Senior Josh Edmond continued competing after a tornado warning delayed proceedings for nearly an hour and went on to win his match following the interruption. Travis and Jarrett Stoner both advanced to consolation semifinals with two wins each on the back side of their brackets.
By advancing eight wrestlers into quarterfinals—tied for third most among teams—Missouri matched or exceeded several marks from previous seasons: three semifinalists again this year; multiple conference finalists for five consecutive years since rejoining the Big 12; and seven top-eight finishers compared to five last year.
Four individual Tigers—Walker (133 lbs.), Steed (174 lbs.), Sinclair (184 lbs.), and Stoner (285 lbs.)—earned automatic bids to compete at next week’s NCAA Championships in Cleveland after their performances on day one.
The tournament resumes Saturday, March 7, when medal matches will be completed and individual champions crowned at BOK Center in Tulsa.
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