MJ Gaitan

Weight:
165
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Temecula, Calif.
High School:
Temecula Valley

YEAR	WEIGHT	RECORD	DUAL RECORD	FALLS	TECH FALLS	MAJOR DECISIONS	^TAKEDOWNS FOR (AGAINST)	BIG 12 FINISH	NCAA FINISH
*2022-23	174	4-4	2-3	1	0	1	N/A	-	-
2023-24	174	22-9	13-2	10	1	4	53 (28)	4th	R12
2024-25	165/174	17-11	4-6	5	1	3	27 (23)	3rd	R24
2025-26	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
CAREER	-	43-24	19-11	16	2	8	80 (51)	-	-

*Redshirted (Record includes only attached matches from season)
^Takedown tally does not include open tournaments

Awards & Accomplishments
2x NCAA Qualifier (2024, ‘25)
2025 Big 12 Championship (Third Place)
2024 Big 12 Championship (Fourth Place)
Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (F24)

2024-25
2025 NCAA Qualifier … posted a 17-11 record in a roller coaster season battling injury and changing weight classes … began the season at 165 pounds before moving back to 174 after the New Year … registered nine bonus-point victories (five falls, one tech fall, three major decisions) … upset the No. 10 seed, Central Michigan’s Alex Cramer, in the First Round at the NCAA Championships … earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships thanks to a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships as the No. 7 seed … after a quarterfinal loss at the Big 12 Championship, won four-in-a-row on the back side, including two against top-15 opponents, to punch his ticket to the national tournament … trailed SDSU’s No. 7 Cade DeVos, 9-0, late at the 2025 Big 12 Championship but used a timely headlock to pull out a victory ... defeated Oklahoma’s No. 8 Gaven Sax, 7-2, which was the highest ranked win of his career at the time … finished the season with seven ranked wins, including three top-10 victories … tallied 27 takedowns and allowed 23.

2023-24
2024 NCAA Qualifier … registered a 22-9 record in his redshirt freshman season … won 15 matches with bonus points (10 falls, one tech fall, four major decisions) … 10 pins were the most on the team and tied for the 17^th-most nationally … hit his stride late in the year, winning 16 of his final 20 matches, including 10 consecutive victories to close the regular season … scored 4.5 points and advanced to the Round of 12 at the NCAA Championships … lost his first match at the national tournament before winning three-straight bouts on the back side, including a pin and major decision … eventually fell in the blood round to Illinois’ No. 3 Edmond Ruth, 8-6, in the blood round … placed fourth at the Big 12 Championship … defeated Missouri’s No. 10 Peyton Mocco by major decision, 13-5, in the conference tournament … finished eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational … recorded a 13-2 dual record … one of two Cyclones to not miss a dual … registered 53 takedowns and allowed 28.

2022-23
Took advantage of the NCAA’s new redshirt rule which allows freshmen to wrestle on up to five countable dates and maintain their redshirt status … compiled a 6-4 overall record, including 4-4 in countable matches, during his redshirt season … made Cyclone debut against Little Rock in the first dual of the season … while trailing, pinned Triston Wills in his first match in 5:27 … won a pivotal match against No. 24 Lance Runyon in the dual against Northern Iowa … trailed Runyon but scored two takedowns and four near fall in the final period to secure the win … placed first at the North Country Open and Second at the Last Chance Open.

High School
Four-year varsity wrestler for Temecula Valley … rated as the top 160-pound wrestler in the country and 35th overall … ranked fourth at 160 pounds by FloWrestling … 2022 California State Champion at 160 pounds … went 5-0 at the state tournament, including a pair of falls … also a Super 32 Champion and 2021 Junior Greco National Champion … silver medalist at U20 Pan-American Championships.

Personal
Majoring in Kinesiology.