Seven Oklahoma wrestlers set for NCAA championships

Big 12 co-champion Oklahoma brings seven wrestlers to St. Louis for the 2021 NCAA Championships this weekend at the Enterprise Center.

After COVID shut down last year’s championships, Big 12 Coach of the Year Lou Rosselli seeks to improve on its 25th-place finish in 2019.

The Sooners are led by Big 12 champion Dom Demas at 141 pounds and a pair of Big 12 runners-up in Tony Madrigal (133) and Mitch Moore (149). Rosselli's team continues its strong middleweight lineup at 157 where Justin Thomas is a three-time NCAA qualifier and the No. 10 seed at the championship.

At-large qualifier and No. 23-seed Anthony Mantanona was an All-American in 2019 and hit his stride at Big 12s, finishing fifth. Jake Woodley and Josh Heindselman close out the Oklahoma qualifiers at 197 and 285 pounds, respectively.

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It’s the second-most Sooners at an NCAA championship event since Rosselli took over in 2016 (OU had eight in 2017). The seven Sooners have combined for 17 NCAA championship qualifications, including three from Demas, Moore, Thomas and Woodley.

The championship is split over three days. The finals will be broadcast on ESPN on Saturday night.

The Sooners have seven national championships, 12 runner-up finishes and four top four finishes and 64 top-10s. In 2020, The NCAA named Oklahoma the fourth-greatest wrestling dynasty in the country in the summer of 2020.

Thursday, March 18

Session I A - 10:00 a.m. - ESPNU

First Round (125-157 pounds)

Session I B - 1 p.m. - ESPNU

First Round (165-285 pounds)

Session II A - 5 p.m. - ESPN2

Second Round (125-157 pounds)

Session II B - 8 p.m. - ESPN2

Second Round (165-285 pounds)

Friday, March 19

Session III - 10:00 a.m. - ESPNU

Quarterfinals (125-157 pounds)

Session IV - 2:00 p.m. - ESPNU

Quarterfinals (165-285 pounds)

Session V - 7:00 p.m. - ESPN2

Semifinals

Saturday, March 20

Session VI - 10:00 a.m. - ESPN2

Medal Matches

Session VII - 6 p.m. - ESPN

Finals

OU’s First-Round Matches

No. 11 Tony Madrigal vs. No. 22 Mario Guillen (OHIO)
No. 5 Dom Demas vs. No. 28 Marcos Polanco (MINN)
No. 13 Mitch Moore vs. No. 20 Josh Heil (CAMP)
No. 10 Justin Thomas vs. No. 23 Jacob Wright (WYO)
No. 23 Anthony Mantanona vs. No. 10 Peyton Mocco (MIZZ)
No. 26 Jake Woodley vs. No. 7 Rocky Elam (MIZZ)
No. 19 Josh Heindselman vs. No. 14 Trent Hillger (WISC)