KTGR ESPN 100.5 FM & 1580 AM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of Missouri wrestling wrapped up day one of the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championship on Thursday, March 21, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, in a tie for 10th place with 14 team points.
Three Tigers secured a spot in the quarterfinals: juniors Keegan O’Toole (165) and Rocky Elam (197), as well as redshirt senior Zach Elam (285)
SESSION I
Five Tigers advanced out of the first round, as Mizzou accumulated 9.0 team points in the first session, tying for 11th place. Redshirt sophomore Josh Edmond secured the first point of the day for Mizzou with an upset over 12th seed Wyatt Henson in sudden victory at 141 pounds.
Defending National Champion O’Toole opened his 165-pound title defense with a first-period pin of 33-seed Jack Thomsen. Missouri saw three straight wins in the heavier weights, starting with redshirt sophomore Colton Hawks, who advanced after defeating North Carolina’s Gavin Kane.
R. Elam opened his bid for four consecutive All-American finishes with a 6-2 decision win over No. 21-seed Mac Stout. Big brother Z. Elam finished off the opening session with a pin at the 1:50 mark to advance past No. 27-seed Josiah Hill.
As for the rest of the Tigers, Noah Surtin, Kade Moore, Brock Mauller and Peyton Mocco all dropped close decisions, while Logan Gioffre also fell to the consolation rounds.
SESSION II
Three of Missouri’s five remaining competitors in the championship bracket advanced to the quarterfinal as O’Toole became the first, winning by fall over 16th seed Will Miller of Appalachian State. He was followed by R. Elam, who avenged a loss earlier in the season by taking down fifth seeded Jacob Cardenas of Cornell in a 4-0 decision. The session was capped by Z. Elam claiming a 4-0 decision over No. 11-seed Josh Heindselman, advancing to the quarterfinals for the second straight year.
Both Edmond and Hawks dropped hard-fought decisions and will enter the consolation bracket tomorrow in session III.
NOTES
- Mizzou had five wrestlers win their first-round matches, marking the fourth time in the last five years that at least five Tigers have advanced to the second round.
- Three Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals, making it eight of the last nine years that MU has had at least three quarterfinalists.
- Kansas City, Missouri products and brothers Zach and Rocky Elam became one of nine pairs of brothers to qualify for NCAA’s, joining fellow hometown brothers Kal and Ethen Miller of Maryland.
- O’Toole set a career season-high with his eighth and ninth falls this season, pinning No. 33-seed Jack Thomsen in the first round and 16th-seed Will Miller in the second.
- Hawks defeated Gavin Kane for the second-straight year in round one via a 4-2 decision.
- With his wins today, Z. Elam moves his career win total to 104. The redshirt senior needs two more wins to pass assistant coach Dom Bradley on the all-time wins list and become the winningest heavyweight in program history.
- R. Elam won his rematch with Jacob Cardenas of Cornell in the championship second round, 4-0. The junior dropped a dual-match to Cardenas, 4-0, Jan. 28, 2024.
- Z. Elam beat Josh Heindselman for the third time this season via a 4-0 decision in the second round. Elam has outscored Heindselman 14-1 across their three bouts.
UP NEXT
Sessions III and IV of the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championship will take place in Kansas City at T-Mobile Center on March 22. Session III will begin at 11 a.m. CT and will feature quarterfinal matches in the championship bracket along with the second and third rounds of wrestle-backs. Session IV will begin at 7 p.m. CT and consist of the blood round to determine which wrestlers will become All-Americans and compete for podium spots, the consolation fourth round and the championship semifinals.
MISSOURI RESULTS (Through Sessions I and II)
125 – Noah Surtin (#13 Seed), 0-2, DNP
• First Round: #20 Stevo Poulin (UNCO) over #13 Noah Surtin by Dec. 3-1
• Consolation First Round: #29 Brendan McCrone (OHST) over #13 Noah Surtin by MD 14-0
133 – Kade Moore (#26 Seed), 0-2, DNP
• First Round: #7 Nasir Bailey (LR) over #26 Kade Moore by Dec. 10-4
• Consolation First Round: #10 Aaron Nagao (PSU) over #26 Kade Moore by TF 16-1 (5:00)
141 – Josh Edmond (#21 Seed), 1-1
• First Round: #21 Josh Edmond over #12 Wyatt Henson (LH) by SV-1,
• Second Round: #5 Anthony Echemendia over #21 Josh Edmond by Dec. 8-2
149 – Logan Gioffre (#28 Seed), 0-2, DNP
• First Round: #5 Ty Watters (WVU) over #28 Logan Gioffre by TF 19-4 (5:21)
• Consolation First Round: #12 Ethen Miller (MD) over #28 Logan Gioffre by TF 18-3 (7:00)
157 – Brock Mauller (#17 Seed), 0-2, DNP
• First Round: #16 Teague Travis (OKST) over #16 Brock Mauller by Dec. 7-2
• Consolation First Round: #32 Isaac Wilcox (OHST) over #17 Brock Mauller by Dec. 13-10
165 – Keegan O’Toole (#1 Seed), 2-0
• First Round: #1 Keegan O’Toole over #33 Jack Thomsen (UNI) by fall (2:55)
• Second Round: #1 Keegan O’Toole over #16 Will Miller (APP) by fall (5:58)
174 – Peyton Mocco (#22 Seed), 0-2, DNP
• First Round: #11 Austin Murphy (CAMP) over #22 Peyton Mocco by Dec. 5-2
• Consolation First Round: #27 Danny Wask (NAVY) over #22 Peyton Mocco by Dec.
184 – Colton Hawks (#11 Seed), 1-1
• First Round: #11 Colton Hawks over #22 Gavin Kane (UNC) by Dec. 4-2
• Second Round: #6 Bernie Truax (PSU) over #11 Colton Hawks by Dec. 4-2
197 – Rocky Elam (#12 Seed), 2-0
• First Round: #12 Rocky Elam over #21 Mac Stout (PITT) by Dec. 6-2
• Second Round: #12 Rocky Elam over #5 Jacob Cardenas (CORN) by Dec. 4-0
285 – Zach Elam (#6 Seed), 2-0
• First Round: #6 Zach Elam over #27 Josiah Hill (LR) by fall (1:50)
• Second Round: #6 Zach Elam over #11 Josh Heindselman (OU) by Dec. 4-0
TEAM RESULTS
1. Penn State – 34.5 points
2. Iowa – 24.5 points
3. Iowa State – 24.5 points
4. Michigan – 22 points
5. NC State – 22 points
6. Nebraska – 21 points
7. Ohio State – 20.5 points
8. Cornell – 18.5 points
9. Virginia Tech – 17.5 points
T10. Missouri – 14 points
T10. Oklahoma State – 14 points
