MO State HS Sports

Keegan O’Toole Named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week

Keegan O'Toole named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri wrestling freshman Keegan O’Toole was named Athlete of the Week by USA Wrestling on Tuesday. O’Toole won Missouri’s ninth individual national championship at the NCAA Championships in Detroit last Saturday.

O’Toole also received the Hammer Award from Amateur Wrestling News for winning in the NCAA’s most competitive weight class. The Hartland, Wisconsin, native finished on top of the 165-pound class with a 6-5 win against reigning national champion Shane Griffith.

The five points O’Toole gave up against Griffith were the only points allowed throughout the entire tournament. He started the week with a 52-second pin, the third fastest of the tournament behind Mizzou teammates Zach Elam (32 seconds) and Jeremiah Kent (42 seconds). He followed up with three straight shutouts, beating Arizona State’s Anthony Valencia 7-0, Ohio State’s Carson Kharchla 2-0 and advancing to the finals with a 4-0 semifinal win over Michigan’s Cam Amine.

O’Toole joins J’den Cox and Ben Askren as the only wrestlers in program history to complete perfect seasons. He also looks to become the first Dan Hodge Award winner since Askren in 2007.

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This article is provided by University of Missouri Athletics