Wyoming Wrestling Finishes Eighth at Big 12 Championships, NCAA Berth Secured
TULSA, Okla. — The Wyoming Cowboys wrestling team concluded its run at the 2026 Big 12 Wrestling Championships in eighth place, accumulating 67.5 points at the BOK Center this past Saturday.1 Oklahoma State secured the team title with 176 points, followed by Iowa State (144 points) and Arizona State (94 points).1
Cowboy Performances in Championship Matches
Wyoming had two wrestlers reach the championship finals: Eddie Neitenbach at 184 pounds and Joey Novak at 197 pounds.1 Neitenbach, seeded third, was defeated by Missouri’s Aeoden Sinclair in an 8-1 decision. Novak, the second seed, lost a close 5-4 match to Iowa State’s Rocky Elam.1
NCAA Championship Qualifiers
Gabe Willochell secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships with a fifth-place finish at 149 pounds, earning a 14-5 major decision over Max Petersen of North Dakota State.1 Sloan Swan likewise finished fifth at 165 pounds, defeating Marcus Espinoza-Owens of South Dakota State by an 8-1 decision, and is awaiting a potential at-large bid.1
Additional Wyoming Wrestlers
Riley Davis placed sixth at 174 pounds after medically defaulting due to a knee injury sustained on Friday, but had already secured an NCAA berth.1 Jared Hill finished eighth at 157 pounds. Christian Carroll (heavyweight) and Luke Willochell (133 pounds) did not place but could still receive at-large bids.1
Looking Ahead to the NCAA Championships
The NCAA Wrestling Championships are scheduled for March 19-21 in Cleveland, Ohio.1 The NCAA Championships field will be announced on Tuesday, with brackets seeded on Wednesday.