Mizzou Central

Missouri Wrestling in Fourth After Day 1 of the 2026 Big 12 Wrestling Championship

Missouri closes Day 1 of the Big 12 Championships with 70.5 points.
Izabelle Cool|
Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan wrestles Missouri’s Aeoden Sinclair in the 197-pound championship match during the Soldier Salute wrestling tournament finals Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan wrestles Missouri’s Aeoden Sinclair in the 197-pound championship match during the Soldier Salute wrestling tournament finals Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 14 University of Missouri wrestling kicked off the postseason at the 2026 Big 12 Championships on Friday, March 6. After Day 1, the Tigers sit in fourth place and are currently projected to finish third following tomorrow's finals.

Currently, the Tigers are behind Arizona State University with 78.5 points and ahead of South Dakota State University, which has 69 points. Oklahoma State, the favored winner of the championships, leads the field with 154.5 points.

Cam Steed, 174 pounds, and Aeoden Sinclair, 184 pounds, advance to the Big 12 Finals on Saturday after defeating their opponents on Friday. Steed will face Oklahoma State's Alex Facundo, and Sinclair will face Wyoming's Ediie Neitenbach tomorrow.

Sinclair outscored three of his opponents 48-13 as he continues to lead the Tigers in wins, with 19 bonus-point wins this season, including seven pins.

He went 3-0 on Friday, recording back-to-back technical falls over Arizona State's Shay Addison and North Dakota State's Aiden Brenot. In the semifinals, Sinclair faced West Virginia's Ian Bush and secured a 6-2 victory after scoring a takedown in the second period.

At 133 pounds, No. 10 Gage Walker upset No. 3 Northern Colorado senior Dominick Serrano to earn his first NCAA Wrestling Championship appearance early in the day. Following Walker's win, Steed, Sinclair, and Stoner secured their spots at the championship.

Wrestling in the Consolation Rounds

  • 125 pounds | Mack Mauger
  • 133 pounds | Gage Walker
  • 149 pounds | Josh Edmond
  • 157 pounds | Teague Travis
  • 285 pounds | Jarrett Stoner

Evan Bates, 197 pounds, will need an at-large bid to compete at the NCAA Championships after losing his first two matches of the day. Max Mayfield, 165 pounds, will also not compete on Saturday after going 1-2 on Friday. Easton Hilton, 141 pounds, went 0-2 on Friday, falling to No. 4 South Dakota State's Julian Tagg and No. 3 Utah Valley's Haiden Drury. All three will need at-large bids to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Head coach Brian Smith worked to refine his starting lineup throughout the season following many roster changes, including the departures of heavyweights Colton Hawks and Rocky Elam. Despite the adjustments, Missouri finished the season 12-8 and secured its 22nd season with 10 or more wins under Smith.

The championships will wrap up on Saturday, March 7, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Session III (consolation semifinals) will begin at noon, followed by Session IV (finals) at 7 p.m. Both sessions will be streamed on ESPN+.

*All times are in CST

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Izabelle Cool
IZABELLE COOL

Izabelle is a master’s candidate at the University of Tennessee studying Sports Management. She received her Bachelor of Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Broadcast from the University of Missouri in 2024. She has been covering wrestling for Missouri On SI since 2023 and has covered wrestling for the Ohio State Buckeyes On SI and Iowa Hawkeyes On SI since 2024. Additionally, Izabelle has covered various Olympic sports, including track and field, soccer, and tennis, since 2021 with other outlets.

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