With the Big 12 Conference Championships tournament less than a week away, Missouri wrestling coach Brian Smith hung a sign in the locker of each of his starters Monday. It simply read, “Be my David.”
The Tigers came into this year’s tournament having never won the Big 12. Meanwhile, they had already lost twice to Oklahoma State, including a 32-9 loss just eight days before the Big 12 Championships.
On Saturday, the Missouri wrestling team was the “David” that Smith was looking for, winning the first Big 12 title in program history.
The Tigers had four individual champions. Sophomores Alan Waters (125 pounds) and Zach Toal (165), junior Mike Larson (184) and redshirt freshman Drake Houdashelt (157) all captured individual conference crowns.
“I told them the story of David and Goliath,” Smith said. “I said the Goliath is Big 12, and we’ve never won it. I told them you’ve gotta believe in the good things that can happen. They just know they’re good, and they believe when they step out on the mat. They just keep proving people wrong, and that’s what’s special about it.”
Missouri’s 77 points gave them the narrow four-point victory over second-place Oklahoma State, who came into the weekend ranked No. 3 in the country and finished the tournament with 73 points. Oklahoma finished third with 56 team points, while Iowa State’s 21 points gave it a fourth-place finish.
After the first session of wrestling, Missouri led the tournament with 61 points, advancing nine of 10 wrestlers to the championship round. Redshirt freshman Devin Mellon, who suffered a right leg injury in the third place match, was the only Missouri wrestler to not reach the podium.
Despite the fast start, Smith was not at ease.
“In between matches I was sitting at home in my sauna just stressing,” Smith said. “I’ve never seen where you get right guys in the finals and still have to fight like that to win the tournament. Every guy was battling.”
Waters set the tone in the 125-pound championship bout with a convincing 7-0 decision over Oklahoma’s Jarrod Patterson. Patterson took very few shots throughout the match, and Waters controlled the action start to finish, nearly recording a pin in the final period.
At 133 pounds, Missouri junior Nathan McCormick was called for stalling late in his championship match with Oklahoma State’s Jordan Oliver, who was named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler. The one-point penalty was enough to give Oliver a major decision and bring Oklahoma State within four points of Missouri’s tournament leading 65 points.
The Cowboys tied the score with a victory in the 149-pound championship. Top-seeded Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State won an 8-3 decision over Missouri sophomore Kyle Bradley, marking the second straight year Bradley has fallen to Parks in the Big 12 Championships. Parks beat Bradley 4-0 last year.
Wrestling in his first Big 12 Championship, Houdashelt earned decisions over Oklahoma State’s Albert White and Oklahoma’s Matt Lester to take home first place in the 157-pound division. Houdashelt’s championship victory gave the Tigers a 69-65 lead in the team standings.
“I tried not to make too big of a deal out of it, so I didn’t get nervous,” Houdashelt said. “I just thought a bunch of positive thoughts and it ended up working out.”
Toal upset top-seeded Andrew Sorenson of Iowa State to extend the team’s lead to eight points over Oklahoma State. Toal’s two victories today were his first since beating Oklahoma State’s Dallas Bailey back on Feb. 4.
Chris Perry earned four points for Oklahoma State at 174 pounds with an 8-2 decision of Missouri senior Dorian Henderson. Henderson upset Iowa State’s Chris Spangler to earn a trip to the championship match. The loss cut Missouri’s lead to 73-69 over the closest competitor, Oklahoma State.
Larson wrestled in front of his parents for just the second time in his collegiate career. The California native made their trip worth it, winning both of his matches on route to his first Big 12 championship. The victory at 184 pounds put the Tigers back in front by eight heading into the final two matches.
“It was great,” Larson said. “This is the second time they’ve ever seen me wrestle here. After I won, I saw them up there and it was really awesome.”
A head injury to Missouri junior Brent Haynes early in the 197-pound bout took him out of his groove, and Oklahoma State’s Cayle Byers seized the opportunity with a 4-0 decision to bring his team back within four points of Missouri.
Without a wrestler in the 285-pound championship, Missouri was left to hope Iowa State heavyweight Matt Gibson could hold off Oklahoma State’s Austin Marsden. Gibson did not disappoint. The Cyclone junior dominated Marsden, giving Iowa State its lone champion and sending the Hearnes Center into a frenzy.
“It was good for them to finish with a champ, but it’s good for us to get a title,” Smith said after admitting it felt strange to be rooting for Iowa State.
In what might have been their last Big 12 Wrestling Championships, the Tigers won their first Big 12 conference title. MU is set to move to the Southeastern Conference this summer, a league that does not boast wrestling as a varsity sport.
The team insists that the work is not done.
“Enjoy it tonight,” Smith said to his team. “Tomorrow we rest. And Monday at 3:30 we focus on St. Louis. That’s been our goal all year.”