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Wrestling Set to Compete in Big 12 Championships

Photo courtesy of UW Athletics
Photo courtesy of UW Athletics

LARAMIE, Wyoming (3/4/26) – The University of Wyoming wrestling team travels to the Big 12 Championships this week. It’ll take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday and Saturday inside the BOK Center. All six sessions can be streamed on ESPN-Plus.


Brackets were released Monday and all but three Cowboys earned a seed. Joey Novak (197) led the way with a No. 2 seed, while Eddie Neitenbach (184) and Christian Carroll (HWT) each earned a No. 3 seed in their respective bracket.


Seeds are important in giving wrestlers the most advantageous path through the bracket. But the Pokes aren’t concerned with that stuff. In fact, Sam Mitchell – the current volunteer director of operations – proved last year that you don’t need the easiest path or a high number of allocations to have a Cinderella-type run through the tournament.


“We are emphasizing to the entire team that seeds don’t matter at this point, whether they’re good or bad or nonexistent,” head coach Mark Branch said. “The focus has been on preparation and getting these guys ready. We certainly pointed out Sam Mitchell’s story after the last dual. It’s important right now that these guys believe in themselves and in their preparation.”

 


Wyoming put a bow on its 8-5 regular season a couple weeks ago with its second top 16 win of the season, defeating No. 16 Oklahoma, 24-10. That victory also put the Cowboys at 7-1 in the Big 12, giving them their best regular-season league finish in program history.

Branch and company are hopeful that their regular-season success translates to the postseason. They also hope to put last year's Big 12 showing behind them. The Pokes finished 10th as a team and only three wrestlers outperformed their seed line – Mitchell, Neitenbach and Cole Brooks.


Wyoming flipped that script at the 2025 NCAA Championships, placing 22nd as a team. Novak spearheaded that effort with a fifth-place finish that featured four bonus-point wins.


As stated, Novak is the No. 2 in his Big 12 bracket. He's seeded behind only Rocky Elam (Iowa State) whom Novak lost to at the 2025 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite by decision, 7-3. There are eight NCAA allocations for the Big 12 at 197.


Neitenbach is behind No. 1-seeded Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri) and No. 2-seeded Zack Ryder (Oklahoma State). Neitenbach has yet to see either of those guys. There are eight allocations at 184, as well.


Carroll is behind No. 1-seeded, and No. 1 in the country, Yonger Bastida (Iowa State), and No. 2-seeded Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State). Carroll has seen Bastida, falling to him at Cliff Keen via decision, 5-3. There are six allocations at HWT.


Sloan Swan (165) is seeded No. 7, while Luke Willochell (133), Gabe Willochell (149) and Jared Hill (157) all garnered a No. 8 seed. There are four allocations at 165, eight at 133, five at 149 and 157.


Sefton Douglass (125), David Saenz (141) and Riley Davis (174) are all unseeded. There are five allocations at 125, seven at 141 and 174.


Session 1 of the 2026 Big 12 Championships get underway at 9 a.m. (MST) on Friday. Session 2 will begin at 4 p.m. that same day.

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