Missouri wrestling redshirt sophomore Noah Surtin has found a home with the Tigers as he continues to dominate on the mat. His overall record since joining Missouri is 30-13, and last season was one win shy of All-American honors at the NCAA Championships. 

As a child, he was not familiar with wrestling until his stepfather introduced him to the sport at 8 years old. 

“My stepdad wrestled in high school, and I honestly didn’t even really know what wrestling was,” Surtin said. “[He] had me go to a couple of camps locally, and I loved it and [have competed] ever since. That’s one of the main avenues that brought us together and made us really close from the beginning.”

Surtin continued wrestling throughout his childhood, and his parents pushed him to be the best version of himself on the mat. He was able to compete in tournaments across the country and enjoyed competing against kids his size. 

“My stepdad and mom both helped me tremendously by taking me to tournaments across the country and bringing me to practices,” Surtin said. “I know it wasn’t cheap, and it was time consuming. I owe a lot of my success to them.”

They continue to support Surtin at Missouri and bond over the wrestling experience. However, wrestling at the collegiate level did not always seem attainable to him due to lack of instant success when he began. 

“I didn’t know it would be feasible,” Surtin said. “My freshman year, I did fairly well, but I didn’t make it to state, and I was crushed and thought there’s no way I’m going to [wrestle in] college.”

Despite his uncertainty about his abilities, he continued wrestling during his sophomore year and began placing in Illinois championships and receiving college offers. 

“I think maybe midway through my sophomore year, I realized I can do this, and then things started taking off,” Surtin said.

Choosing Missouri was a no-brainer for Surtin, as he grew up surrounded by Tiger fans and was coached in club wrestling throughout his childhood by former Missouri wrestling assistant coach Pat McNamara. When he visited Missouri, he said he loved the environment the coaches worked to create.

“I really love the coaches and just the culture that Smith creates,” Surtin said. “He cares for us as men and not just wrestlers. The coaches and teammates are great people. I love the team.”

Since joining the Tigers, Surtin has been an NCAA Qualifier, Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, a 2022 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selectee and he placed in the 2022 Big 12 Wrestling Championship. He attributes this to the coaching staff working with each wrestler on their strengths and styles. 

“A lot of people have different styles,” Surtin said. “The coaches do a great job of getting you better at your own style and not trying to change everything that you do.”

It has helped his confidence and focus on returning to the NCAA and Big 12 Wrestling Championships better than he was in past seasons. 

“When Connor [Brown] broke his ankle, I didn’t have the most confidence just because I wasn’t the starter,” Surtin said. “Last year, I went in with more confidence. I didn’t have the best Big 12 tournament, but going into nationals, I feel like I had a pretty good tournament. I’ve addressed a lot of those shortcomings in those areas where I [needed improvement.]”

A lot of Surtin’s motivation is found in his faith and the ability to draw on that to persevere and have fun no matter the outcome. 

“Getting the crowd riled up makes it fun for me and everyone,” Surtin said. “If I am focusing on doing the best I can and glorifying God, there’s nothing more that I could have done.”

His advice for younger wrestlers is to put in the time during the off-season and be willing to practice other forms of wrestling.

“I would say that if you want to get to the highest level, you [have] to devote pretty much all your time to wrestling,” Surtin said. “You should also [practice] freestyle and Greco. Show them that you’re committed to getting better and that you love the sport.”

Outside of wrestling, Surtin enjoys traveling, hunting and anything related to the outdoors, along with his teammates.

“We’re really lucky that coach [Tyrel] Todd is from Montana,” Surtin said. “So the past two summers [he’s taken us to Montana], and we go on hikes in the mountains, which I absolutely love.”

Once he graduates and gets his Master of Science in business, he plans on attending anesthesiologist assistant school. Wrestling will be placed on the back burner once he leaves Missouri.

“I love wrestling, but I don’t think I’ll be as involved,” Surtin said. “I’m looking at moving to Colorado and getting situated over there and then start working after that.”

Surtin said this year’s Big 12 Wrestling Championship will be where the Tigers show they are not slowing down. He believes the team can make it into the top three spots. 

“I’m really excited for this postseason, and not just for myself, but for the team,” Surtin said. “I think we can surprise a lot of people. We have a couple of guys that can win a national title. I’m excited to show the country what we can do.”

Missouri wrestling has won 11 straight conference championships. It is looking to make it 12 as they travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 4-5 for the Big 12 Wrestling Championship.

Edited by Davis Wilson

Copy edited by Brooklyn Cross and Mary Philip