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COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri wrestling qualified all 10 starters to the 2024 NCAA Championship, nine automatic bids and one at-large, as seeding was announced ahead of the event on March 21-23 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Starting at 125 pounds, redshirt junior Noah Surtin received the 13 seed and will take on Stevo Poulin of Northern Colorado in the first round. Surtin has only wrestled Poulin once in his career, the 2023 Big 12 final, where he lost 11-4. Redshirt freshman Kade Moore earned an at-large bid and is slotted in the 26 seed at 133 pounds for his first NCAA tournament and will face Nasir Bailey of Little Rock first. The two have never wrestled.
After a third-place conference finish, redshirt sophomore Josh Edmond is the 21 seed at 141 pounds and will wrestle Wyatt Henson of Lock Haven for the first time in his career. Redshirt junior Logan Gioffre qualified for the first time in his career and received the 28 seed in the 149-pound bracket. Gioffre will take on Ty Watters of West Virginia first, having lost to the Mountaineer in the dual this season, 6-1.
In the 157-pound bracket, redshirt senior Brock Mauller earned the 17 seed and will face fellow Father Tolton graduate Teague Travis of Oklahoma State in the first round. Mauller previously lost to Travis in the Feb. 4 matchup, 4-2. Receiving the highest seed for Tiger Style, junior Keegan O’Toole claimed the No. 1 seed at 165 pounds for the first time in his career. O’Toole will wrestle the winner of Jack Thomsen (UNI) versus Jake Logan (Lehigh).
Redshirt senior Peyton Mocco is seeded 22nd in the 174-pound bracket and faces Austin Murphy of Campbell. In the 184-pound bracket, redshirt sophomore Colton Hawks earned the 11 seed and will face No. 22 Gavin Kane. The bout is a rematch of last year’s first-round match where the seeds were flipped and Hawks upset Kane, 6-2.
The Elams round out Missouri’s starters, with junior Rocky Elam receiving the 12 seed at 197 pounds and will face Mac Stout of Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, big brother and redshirt senior Zach Elam earned the highest seed of his career, No. 6 at 285 pounds. Z. Elam will wrestle Josiah Hill of Little Rock first, who he pinned last year at the Southern Scuffle in 22 seconds.
The 2024 tournament begins Thursday, March 21, and concludes Saturday, March 23, and can be streamed on the ESPN+ platform.
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