TULSA, Okla. — Iowa State Wrestling concluded Session III at the Big 12 Championships leading the team race with 144.5 points, with Oklahoma State trailing closely with 137.5 points.
The Cyclones secured four podium finishes, with Casey Swiderski claiming third place, Kysen Terukina and MJ Gaitan taking fourth place, and Will Feldkamp finishing in sixth place.
Now, all eyes are on the finals. Iowa State has five competing for Big 12 titles: Evan Frost, Anthony Echemendia, Cody Chittum, David Carr and Yonger Bastida.
Here are some of my thoughts after Session III and what to expect from tonight’s title matches:
Swiderski’s battle to third is a positive sign for the future
Swiderski is the perfect example of what it means to learn from past mistakes, make necessary adjustments and come back stronger. It is impressive he came back from such a gut-wrenching loss in the semifinals and bonus-pointed his way to a third-place finish.
Swiderski could have easily let those strong emotions he felt in his controversial 8-7 loss against Jordan Williams (OSU) defeat him. He didn’t.
The reason coaches love to say ‘the toughest guys wrestle for third’ is because wrestlers have to battle their way through the back of the bracket through several matches to get that opportunity.
Instead, while on his run after Session II, Swiderski decided to apologize to the fans for not wrestling better and enter Session III ready to win.
“My thought process was, I apologize to the Cyclone fans for wrestling for one minute in that match. I made it a point to come in here against that first dude in the consi-semi’s and wrestle for seven minutes like I did in the last minute of that semifinal match,” Swiderski said. “I think it worked out so if I can continue to do that in Kansas City, good luck.”
Swiderski’s strategy paid off. In his initial bout against Oklahoma’s Willie McDougald, he successfully took him out 19-5. He followed that up with another dominant performance, securing a 22-6 tech fall victory over Wyoming’s Gabe Willochell in the third-place match. These bonus point victories significantly helped his team in the Big 12 team title race.
Iowa State is looking better than ever
Despite watching Gaitan, Terukina and Feldkamp end their tournaments outside of a top-three finish, there were still a lot of positives to take away.
Historically, Iowa State has struggled with bonus points, which has hindered the program’s success in regular season duals and the postseason.
This season, however, bonus point victories have allowed the Cyclones to maintain their team lead throughout the tournament, crucially impacting their standing as they approach the final session.
Following Session III, the Cyclones garnered a tournament total of 28 team points from bonus point victories. Without these contributions, their position in the team race would be much lower, with Oklahoma State poised to win it all before the final session even started. Despite their final disappointing losses, Gaitan and Feldkamp have been pivotal contributors, combining for five bonus point wins.
This is a positive sign for the future of the program and showcases the Cyclones’ ability to be a top, competitive program.
The championship matchups
Evan Frost vs. No. 1 Daton Fix (OSU) – 133 pounds
Fix is a tough opponent. He is the David Carr of Oklahoma State. On paper, Fix is the heavy favorite. When they battled in the regular season dual, Fix defeated Frost, 11-3. If Frost can keep this matchup to a decision, he’ll help the team race immensely.
Anthony Echemendia vs. No. 3 Cael Happel (UNI) – 141 pounds
A much-anticipated rematch. These two met for the first time at the Cliff Keen Invitational where Happel beat Echemendia 9-3. When these two faced off against each other in Hilton Echemendia avenged the loss in a heated battle. Echemendia had a crazy toss that landed Happel on his head and propelled him to a 9-6 win. Now they’ll meet for a third time. This will be a toss-up.
Cody Chittum vs. No. 2 Ryder Downey (UNI) – 149 pounds
Another much-anticipated rematch. When they went head-to-head in the regular season Chittum fell short and lost 12-9. Chittum is a fiery guy with a very competitive nature. I like this rematch for him. Chittum is a scrappy guy who seems to thrive when there is a chip on his shoulder. This match will also be a toss-up.
David Carr vs. No. 1 Keegan O’Toole (MIZZ) – 165 pounds
The matchup everyone has been waiting for since the last time these two wrestled at the 2023 NCAA Championships. O’Toole was unable to face Carr in the regular season this year due to illness so there is an added eagerness around this matchup and the rivalry.
Carr and O’Toole wrestled each other three times over the final month of the 2022-23 season with Carr winning in the dual and Big 12 title match, but O’Toole avenged those losses and took home the national title.
Check out a detailed look at their history here.
Yonger Bastida vs. No. 1 Wyatt Hendrickson (AF) – 285 pounds
Bastida has been making a name for himself across the country as he’s been a machine in his inaugural season at heavyweight. He’s been scoring points like crazy and only allowed two takedowns all season. He’s also made it his signature to lift his opponents, something heavyweights do not do.
Tonight, he’ll face the best heavyweight in the conference, Wyatt Hendrickson, who is a pinning machine. He leads the NCAA currently in most wins by fall, something also not common for heavyweights. Bastida and Hendrickson have never wrestled against each other.
The might be the most anticipated title match because of how unpredictable it’s going to be.
The final round of the Big 12 Championships will begin at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
