Iowa Wrestling Weekend That Was: 3rd conference title for Iowa State’s David Carr highlights Big 12 tournament

The Big 12 Championships finished Sunday night with Iowa State earning eight automatic NCAA tournament berths, while Northern Iowa grabbed seven. Missouri picked up where it left off — on top of the Big 12. Grand View gets No. 10. This is the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

David Carr cruises to third title

David Carr captured his third Big 12 Championships crown Sunday at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. Carr, a redshirt sophomore with the COVID year, became the 16th Cyclone to win three conference titles, becoming the first to achieve the feat since Kyven Gadson from 2013-15.

Interestingly, Carr won his third title on the 95th anniversary of Arthur Holding’s first of three conference titles to become the first Cyclone to do it.

Top-ranked Carr met North Dakota State’s Jared Franek in the finals for the second straight year. Second verse, same as the first. Carr beat Franek, 8-2, which is the identical score from the 2021 conference final. The defending 157-pound NCAA champion opened the tournament with a pin and technical fall, helping him improve to 21-0 this season.

Eight Cyclones qualified to the NCAA Championships automatically. Carr will be joined by 133-pounder Ramazan Attasauov, Ian Parker (141), 149-pounder Jarrett Degen, Joel Devine at 174, Marcus Coleman (184), Yonger Bastida at 197 and heavyweight Sam Schuyler. Iowa State’s Kysen Terukina, an NCAA qualifier last season, was eighth and will have to wait for at-large bids to be announced Tuesday.

Parker Keckeisen makes it 4 in a row for UNI at 184

UNI’s Parker Keckeisen has continued the program’s reign at 184 in the Big 12 Conference. Since joining the conference in 2018, the Panthers have boasted the conference champion of that class. Keckeisen rolled to his second straight conference title, beating Missouri’s No. 19 Jeremiah Kent, 13-3 in the final.

He is the third Panther to win multiple Big 12 titles. Drew Foster won the 184 title in 2018 and 2019. Taylor Lujan claimed the 174-pound crown in 2018 and the 184 championship in 2020.

Keckeisen is known for a high pace and tenacious attack. He recorded major decisions in all four matches. His closest bout was a 12-4 quarterfinal victory over NDSU’s Deanthony Parker Jr.

UNI had three finalists, including runner-up performances from Kyle Biscoglia at 133 and 118-pounder Brody Teske. Colin Realbuto (149) and Austin Yant (165) placed third. Realbuto, seeded fifth, beat two ranked wrestlers, topping No. 17 Degen, 8-6, in the final round.

Tanner Sloan finishes second

South Dakota State 197-pounder Tanner Sloan earned his second Big 12 runner-up finish in three seasons. The former Alburnett two-time state champion lost a 3-2 decision to Wyoming’s top-seeded Stephen Buchanan in the championship match. Sloan recorded a pin and major decision en route to the finals.

Sloan is 20-5 overall and had won 15 straight matches from Jan. 2 until the conference final. Sloan’s Jackrabbits teammate, Cade Devos, who is a former Southeast Polk prep, also qualified for the NCAA tournament with a fourth-place finish at 174.

Mizzou extends streak

Missouri picked up right where it left off in the Big 12 Conference a decade ago. The Tigers captured the conference team title Sunday with 131 1/2 points, topping Oklahoma State by 18 1/2 and extending its conference championship streak to 11 in a row.

Missouri won the Big 12 tournament in 2012 and left to join the Mid-American Conference. The Tigers ruled there in their nine seasons with the league, claiming all nine conference tournament team crowns. With a return to the Big 12 this season, Missouri reclaimed its spot from when it left.

Grand View wins 10th title

Grand View returned to the top of the NAIA with its 10th national tournament title in the last 11 years. The Vikings scored 206 1/2 points, distancing themselves from runner-up and 2021 team champion Life University by 57 1/2 points.

Three Vikings earned national crowns. Esco Walker (125), Israel Casarez (157) and Casey Randles at 174 all placed first. Marty Margolis (165), Ben Lee at 184 and heavyweight Greg Hagan finished second. Grand View finished the tournament 50-12, pushing 10 of 12 wrestlers into the semifinals. Grand View Coach Nick Mitchell was named Coach of the Year.