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Wrestling
Wrestle-Offs
Iowa State University Athletics
PRIMER: 2025 Big 12 Wrestling Championship
03.05.2025 | Wrestling
AMES, Iowa -Â Iowa State begins its postseason journey at the 2025 Big 12 Championship March 8-9 in Tulsa, Okla. ISU, the defending Big 12 champion, is in search of its 19th conference title in program history.
The Cyclones haven't won back-to-back titles since 2008-09, which came on the tail end of a stretch which saw ISU win three-consecutive tournaments (2007-08-09).Â
What:Â 2025Â Big 12 Wrestling Championship
Where:Â Tulsa, Okla. // BOK Center
When:Â March 8-9
Live Stats:Â TrackWrestling
Watch:Â ESPN+ (Sessions 1-3) & ESPNUÂ (Finals)
[Sessions 1-3: Mike Leslie &Â Hardell Moore; Session 4: Mike Couzens & Rock Harrison]
Listen:  Varsity App & Cyclones.com
[Joe Sinclair, pxp; Ryan Rohlk, pxp; Nate Carr, analyst]
Brackets: CLICK HERE
Notes:Â Iowa State
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 8
Session 1:Â Preliminary & Quarterfinal Matches -Â 10 a.m. (ESPN+)
Session 2:Â Semifinal & Consolation Quarterfinal Matches -Â 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday, March 9
Session 3:Â Consolation Semifinals and Placing Matches -Â Noon (ESPN+)
Session 4:Â Finals -Â 8Â p.m. (ESPNU)
IOWA STATE FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS
125: No. 8 Kysen Terukina (11-1) vs. Tristan Daugherty (NDSU, 8-11)
133: No. 1 Evan Frost (16-2) vs. Stockton O`Brien (WYO, 9-17)Â
141: No. 3 Jacob Frost (26-5) vs. Daniel Miranda (ASU, 4-8)
149: No. 2 Paniro Johnson (21-4) vs. Avery Allen (SDSU, 14-10)
157: No. 1 Cody Chittum (15-3) vs. Bryce Shelton (AF, 1-2)
165: No. 8 Aiden Riggins (11-15) received a bye
174: No. 7 MJ Gaitan (12-8) received a bye
184: No. 4 Evan Bockman (12-6) vs. Gage Musser (AF, 14-9)
197: No. 6 Nate Schon (14-9) vs. Jacob Meissner (ASU, 3-6)
285: No. 6 Daniel Herrera (21-11) vs. Andrew Blackburn-Forst (NDSU, 11-16)
POST-MATCH SOCIAL
Cyclone wrestling fans are invited to Albert G's Saturday night following Session II for a post-match social.
Address:Â 421 E 1st St, Tulsa, OK 74120
NCAA QUALIFICATION
The Big 12 was awarded 61 allocations last week, the second-most of any conference, but that number has dropped to 58 due to three allocated wrestlers not entering the field across the league (noted below). Those allocations are broken down by weight class below and represent how many Big 12 Championship placewinners at each weight will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Big 12 Allocations By Weight
125:Â 7
133:Â 6
141:Â 7
149:Â 4*
157:Â 6*
165:Â 7
174:Â 6
184:Â 7
197:Â 4
285:Â 4
Total:Â 58*
*Adjusted from original number released last week - Young (OSU) and Vasquez (ASU) did not enter at 149; Petersen (NDSU) did not enter at 157.
BIG 12 TITLE RACE
Iowa State is one of two schools in the league, along with UNI, to have all 10 of its entries receive a top-eight seed. While Oklahoma State has nine wrestlers seeded, the Cowboys are the favorites on paper going into the tournament.
Big 12 Championship Team Race Projections*
Oklahoma State - 134
Northern Iowa - 125.5
Iowa State - 107.5
South Dakota State - 80.5
Oklahoma - 72.5
Missouri - 63.5
Northern Colorado - 61.5
Wyoming - 52.5
West Virginia - 50
Arizona State - 42
Utah Valley - 24.5
North Dakota State - 18
California Baptist - 12.5
Air Force - 5.5
*Based on seeds, no bonus points factored in
KEY STORYLINES
- Iowa State is one of two schools (UNI) with all 10 wrestlers receiving a top-eight seed at the 2025 Big 12 Championship. Five of those are seeded fourth or better. Evan Frost (133) and Cody Chittum (157) both earned the No. 1 seed in their respective brackets. Paniro Johnson is the No. 2 seed at 149 pounds, Jacob Frost is No. 3 at 141 pounds and Evan Bockman is No. 4 at 184 pounds.
- Kysen Terukina (125) is back in the Cyclone lineup after suffering a knee sprain at the Cyclone Open on Jan. 19. The Big 12 Championship will be his first action since then. He also missed the early portion of the season due to a neck injury but has still managed an 11-1 record with his lone loss of the season coming at the buzzer to West Virginia's Jett Strickenberger.
- Only four wrestlers remain in Iowa State's lineup from last year's Big 12 Championship squad - Terukina, E. Frost, Chittum and MJ Gaitan.
- Johnson has his sights set on a second Big 12 title in Tulsa. Johnson, who won the 2023 Big 12 title at 149 pounds, is the only Cyclone in the lineup with an individual conference title on his resume.Â
- Three Cyclones (J. Frost, Nate Schon, Daniel Herrera) will make their conference tournament debuts this weekend and will get their first taste of postseason experience.Â
- Although new to the roster, Evan Bockman (184) owns three appearances at the Big 12 Championship with his former school, Utah Valley. Aiden Riggins (165) will make his Big 12 Championship debut, but competed at the Big Ten Championships last year for Iowa at 184 pounds.
- Evan Frost owns a team-best and career-long 12-match winning streak, and has won three-consecutive matches by bonus-point margin. With a 16-2 record in the regular season, Frost's last loss came on Dec. 7 to Cal Poly's No. 12 Zeth Romney in the CKLV finals.
- Chittum has won 12 of his last 14 matches but slipped up in the final dual of the season against Mizzou's James Conway. Notably, Chittum owns wins this season over UNI's No. 6 Ryder Downey and OSU's No. 14 Caleb Fish.
- The Cyclones have been bit by the injury bug this season. ISU has lost four starters, including three past All-Americans, to season ending injuries: Casey Swiderski (141/149), Anthony Echemendia (141/149), Connor Euton (165) and Yonger Bastida (285).
- Iowa State won the 2024 Big 12 Championship with two champs (Echemendia & Bastida) and 152.5 team points. Bonus points were key throughout the tournament as the Cyclones registered 28 extra points compared to Oklahoma State's 13 bonus points.
WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser, Paniro Johnson and Kysen Terukina met with the media on Tuesday. Watch their interviews below.
Players Mentioned
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Kevin Dresser Interview (NCAA Championships Session 5)
Saturday, March 22
Jacob Frost Interview (NCAA Championships - 7th Place)
Saturday, March 22
Kevin Dresser Interview (NCAA Championships Session 4)
Friday, March 21
Kevin Dresser Interview (NCAA Championships Session 3)
Friday, March 21
