The following is a press release courtesy of Iowa State athletics communications. Photo via Jacqueline Cordova.
TULSA, Okla. – Iowa State advanced seven wrestlers into the semifinals Saturday in the first session of the Big 12 Championship. Kysen Terukina, Evan Frost, Anthony Echemendia, Casey Swiderski, Cody Chittum, David Carr and Yonger Bastida all won their quarterfinal matches inside the BOK Center.
Five Cyclones – Terukina, Frost, Swiderski, Chittum and Carr – all punched their tickets to the 2024 NCAA Championships in the session.
Iowa State sits atop the team standings after session one with 71 points but Oklahoma State is close behind with 67.5. The Cyclones have seven semifinalists while the Cowboys have eight, including two head-to-head matchups on the docket for this evening. Missouri is in third place with 58 points.
Bonus points will be crucial in the race for the team title and the Cyclones chased them to start the day, putting 14 extra points on the board. Bastida highlighted the session with back-to-back falls, his first two of the season, to begin his tournament. His Cuban counterpart, Echemendia, picked up consecutive tech falls while Carr had a pin and a tech fall.
After a major decision in the first round, Frost was the first Cyclone to advance into the semifinals and punch his ticket to the national tournament. The Cyclone 133-pounder gave up the first takedown in his quarterfinal match against California Baptist’s Hunter Leake, but cruised to an 18-5 major decision.
At 125 pounds, No. 6 seed Terukina took out the defending Big 12 Champion No. 3 Stevo Poulin, 3-2, in the quarterfinals. Terukina qualified for his third NCAA Championships with the win.
Echemendia and Swiderski followed with back-to-back-victories at 141 and 149 pounds to advance into the semifinals. Swiderski’s 4-2 quarterfinal win over Logan Gioffre secured his ticket to the national tournament.
Chittum went 2-0 in the session, highlighted by a 7-3 decision over Mizzou’s Brock Mauller, to earn himself a spot in the national tournament. Carr tallied more bonus points with a tech fall over Jack Thomsen in the quarterfinals to earn a berth in the big dance.
Both of Bastida’s pins came in the first period. The Cuban pinned Xavier Doolin (UNCO) in 30 seconds, the fastest of his career, before notching a fall in 2:17 against No. 7 seed Michael Wolfgram (WVU).
Up Next
Iowa State resumes action at the Big 12 Championship at 5 p.m. inside the BOK Center. Semifinals and consolation quarterfinal matches will be contested and streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Iowa State Results
125: No. 6 Kysen Terukina
First Round: W-D, 6-2 vs. Conrad Hendriksen (OU)
QF: W-D, 3-2 vs. No. 3 Stevo Poulin (UNCO)
SF: vs. No. 2 Troy Spratley (OSU)
133: No. 2 Evan Frost
First Round: W-MD, 12-1 vs. Jace Koelzer (OU)
QF: W-MD, 18-5 vs. No. 7 Hunter Leake (CBU)
SF: vs. No. 3 Dominick Serrano (UNCO)
141: No. 1 Anthony Echemendia
First Round: W-TF, 17-2 (3:22) vs. Garrett Kuchan (AF)
QF: W-TF 21-5 (5:50) vs. No. 8 Cole Brooks (WYO)
SF: vs. No. 4 Jordan Titus (WVU)
149: No. 1 Casey Swiderski
First Round: Bye
QF: W-D, 4-2 vs. No. 8 Logan Gioffre (MIZ)
SF: vs. No. 4 Jordan Williams (OSU)
157: No. 4 Cody Chittum
First Round: W-TF, 22-4 (5:29) vs. Brooks Gable (AF)
QF: W-D, 7-3 vs. No. 5 Brock Mauller (MIZ)
SF: vs. No. 1 Vinny Zerban (UNCO)
165: No. 2 David Carr
First Round: WBF (2:07) vs. Mateo de la Pena (CBU)
QF: W-TF, 17-2 (5:47) vs. Jack Thomsen (UNI)
SF: vs. No. 3 Peyton Hall (WVU)
174: No. 2 MJ Gaitan
First Round: Bye
QF: L-D SV-1, 6-3 vs. No. 7 Gaven Sax (NDSU)
Consis. QF: vs. Mahonri Rushton (UVU)
184: No. 5 Will Feldkamp
First Round: Bye
QF: L-MD, 13-2 vs. No. 4 Colton Hawks (MIZ)
Consis. QF: vs. Nathan Haas (CBU)
197: Julien Broderson
First Round: W-D, 5-1 vs. No. 8 Austin Cooley (WVU)
QF: LBF (1:47) vs. No. 1 Tanner Sloan (SDSU)
Consis. QF: vs. No. 7 Luke Surber (OSU)
285: No. 2 Yonger Bastida
First Round: WBF (0:30) vs. Xavier Doolin (UNCO)
QF: WBF (2:17) vs. No. 7 Michael Wolfgram (WVU)
SF: No. 3 Zach Elam (MIZ)
