The postseason has arrived for Iowa State and UNI, with the Big 12 Wrestling Championships going down in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from March 6-7.
Brackets were released on March 2 by the Big 12, revealing lineups for each team and their paths to reaching the NCAA Championships. Here, we’ll be going over each of those points for the Cyclones and Panthers ahead of one of the biggest dates on the calendar.
Here’s a look at what’s to come for Iowa State and UNI at the Big 12 Championships.
Can Iowa State wrestling win a Big 12 team title?
The team race between Oklahoma State and Iowa State will be the story of the tournament. The Cowboys, with six No. 1 seeds, are the big favorite. However, on its best day, Iowa State could have a chance.
Oklahoma State has No. 1 seeds from 125 pounds to 149 pounds with Troy Spratley (125), Jax Forrest (133), Sergio Vega (141) and Casey Swiderski (149). The No. 2 seeds at three of those four weights are all Cyclones with Stevo Poulin (125), Anthony Echemendia (141) and Jacob Frost (149). If Iowa State is to get revenge for its dual loss to the Cowboys, Poulin, Echemendia and Jacob Frost being on the other side of one takedown or fewer losses will be crucial should they meet in the finals as projected. Even then, the Cowboys having all 10 of their wrestlers seeded No. 3 or better will make beating them a tall task.
That task got even tougher without Evan Frost. Iowa State made a late change on March 5 to replace Evan Frost with Garrett Grice. An Iowa State spokesperson said it was a coaches’ decision. Frost has not competed since Jan. 25 vs. South Dakota State. He missed the pair of road duals vs. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State with an illness in early February and has not returned to the mat since.
This is a substantial loss for the Cyclones at 133 pounds, losing a top-tier NCAA All-American contender for the postseason. Grice has big shoes to fill if the Cyclones hope to remain in Big 12 title and team trophy contention at NCAAs. Given Grice’s shallow record after injury, placing seventh or better is a must if they hope to send 10 to NCAAs.
Grice will have to take on No. 1 seed Jax Forrest in the first round and take seventh or better to automatically qualify for NCAAs. At 3-1 after being injured in the first tournament of the season for Iowa State, Grice already has two-ranked wins as he filled in at the end of the Big 12 dual season.
Aside from that, Rocky Elam (197) and Yonger Bastida (285) are No. 1 seeds at their weights, looking to find glory in Tulsa before going after the ultimate goal at NCAAs in Cleveland. Elam is favored to get through to the finals despite being a deep weight, but a tough matchup vs. No. 2 Joey Novak of Wyoming or No. 3 Coby Merrill of Oklahoma State would be a stern challenge. The same goes for Bastida, with likely either No. 3 Christian Carroll of Wyoming or No. 2 Konner Doucet of Oklahoma State in the finals.
Connor Euton (seeded fifth at 165) and Grice will have to place above his seeding to automatically qualify for nationals. Everyone else for Iowa State, so long as they place at or above their seeding, will automatically have a spot. Euton will likely have a good chance at an at-large bid, should it come to that.
Here’s a look at the Cyclones’ lineup:
How many can UNI wrestling qualify for NCAAs?
The Panthers aren’t expected to be in the team race this weekend after nearly winning it last season, but this go-around may be just as important from a qualification perspective.
Trever Anderson (125), Max Brady (141), Caleb Rathjen (149), Cael Rahnavardi (157), John Gunderson (197) and Adam Ahrendsen (285) will all need to place better than their seeding to automatically qualify for nationals. Otherwise, they’ll be left at the mercy of needing an at-large bid. Julian Farber (133), Ryder Downey (165), Jared Simma (174) and Nick Fox (184) all can automatically qualify if they just place at their seeding or better.
Downey will likely lead the way for UNI, with a potential Big 12 final vs. LaDarion Lockett of Oklahoma State setting up to be a gritty matchup between two elite defensive wrestlers, should it happen. Aside from that, Anderson and Simma are two guys who have reached the bloodround of NCAAs before, showing they have the spark to make a run at this tournament at their best. Farber, despite some struggles at the end of this season, is an established veteran who the Panthers will lean on as well.
UNI also has a host of intriguing wrestlers in the fold. This is Rathjen’s second postseason, qualifying for NCAAs in 2024. He’s just 6-5 on the year, but is coming off his best win of the season over Joe Zargo of Wisconsin (ranked No. 14 at 149 by Intermat) in a 7-4 sudden victory. At his best, Rathjen is capable of beating NCAA All-American caliber wrestlers and is one to watch this weekend, but he will need to place fifth or better to automatically qualify.
Brady, Rahnavardi, Fox and Ahrendsen are all competing at Big 12s for the first-time in their careers. Brady (18-10) and Fox (9-2, multiple ranked wins) have each come on strong during this Big 12 dual season for UNI and will be intriguing to watch. Rahnavardi and Ahrendsen each bring a funky style that can cause havoc in a tournament. Gunderson, a U23 World team member, is in his second Big 12 conference tournament, seeking to have better luck than his 0-2 performance in 2022.
A strong performance will be needed to qualify as many wrestlers as they can for Cleveland.
Here’s a look at UNI’s lineup:
This story was updated to include new information that Evan Frost is out for the Big 12 Championships, while Garrett Grice will start.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What to know for Iowa State, UNI at Big 12 Wrestling Championships
Reporting by Eli McKown, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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